The Return
by SW4G M4N
Summary: Set years after the Arkham City incident. Christian Wayne has lived a great life, totally ignorant of his father's past. After one incident breaks his world, though; he dawns the cowl to fight against the now rampant criminals, along with ghosts of his dad's past. This story is VERY VERY AU! Has other dc characters like supergirl and superman.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The time setting in this story is long after the Arkham City incident. ****This story is a bit of a shot in the dark. I have no idea if it will work out or not, but if I get enough positive feedback I will post the other three chapters I've written.**

Chapter One: Paradise Lost

"Mr. Wayne, I need you to take a look at these papers," said a blonde young woman wearing a business suit, a fitting pencil skirt, and glasses.

"Sure thing Eve," said a dark haired man sitting behind a large desk, "Is there anything else?"

"You're father is still insisting you have dinner with him tonight, and as your advisor and friend I think you should go," answered Eve, taking back the papers that Mr. Wayne had just signed.

He sighed, "I don't really see why he is so insistent that I spend time with him. I see him at almost every charity event."

"Christian, you know your grandparents were killed when he was very young. He just wants to be there for you. Your sister will be going and I think it would be good for the Wayne family to get some quality time together."

Christian waved her off and said, "I know, I know."

Eve nodded and walked off towards the door. When she reached for the handle though, it swung open and in walked another blonde young woman, but she was wearing more casual cloths then the uptight Evelyn Wesson, as well as a black hair band. Christian's face lit up with a smile as he saw her enter the room.

"Kara, what are you doing here?"

Kara sat down on his desk in front of him and answered, "I just got came to visit my boyfriend and I figured I'd drop by and say hello to my best friend."

"Hey now, I'm only twenty five!" Christian joked

Kara laughed, "You and your sense of humor. By the way, have you any idea where Jimmy might be? Ever since he was appointed head of the Daily Planet, I can't seem to find him these days."

Christian grumbled to himself, he really was not a fan of Jimmy Olsen, not necessarily because he was a bad guy, but because he was dating Kara. Ever since he had known her, Christian had been stuck in a perpetual friend zone.

"Won't you join me for dinner sometime then?" he asked with a playful smile.

Kara thought for a second and answered, "I don't know Christian, when it comes to women you're more notorious then dear old Brucie."

Christian tried to shove that image out of his mind. Of course he knew the tales of how his dad was back in the day, a notorious playboy. Feeling obligated to follow his family tradition, much to his sister's disgust; Christian had courted his fair share of women.

"Besides," Kara continued, "Uncle Clark and my cousin Connor want me back in Metropolis as soon as possible. I have a family business to run of my own you know."

"Yeah, you never tell me about it," Christian muttered to himself. Kara had some sort family business she ran back in Metropolis along with he uncle and cousin. Though from what he had heard, Clark Kent was all but retired and left most of his company to Connor.

Kara smiled and jumped off Christian's desk, walking to the door, "You know where I'm staying here, if you wanna visit all you gotta do is show up."

With those words, she left Christian alone in his office, along with Eve.

"Hey Eve, do you think you could drive me home, I'm feeling a little tired," he asked his personal secretary.

Eve nodded and said, "I'll get the limo started."

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When Christian and Eve arrived at Wayne Manor to pick up his dad, they found the lights in the house completely off and the door locked shut.

"I'm sure your father probably went to the restaurant already, I can call and ask them if he's there," Eve suggested, hoping Christian wouldn't lose interest in his family time.

"Hold on, I've got a key," Christian told her as he pulled out a key ring and picked out an old fashion silver key. Christian inserted the key, then turned it, causing the door to open up with a loud *CLICK*. He held the door open for Eve then followed inside.

"I'm just gonna grab a tie and I'll be back in a second," Christian said as he walked through one of the side doors.

"Just hurry up," Eve called to him, "your reservations are in ten minutes."

Christian nodded and continued to head towards his father's bedroom.

As he passed through the library, he heard a loud squeaking noise. Christian whirled around to see what was in the room with him just to find a small bat, trapped in his dad's old grandfather clock.

"Hold on, I've got you," he said reassuringly, not to sure why he was talking to the thing in the first place. Christian opened up the glass that trapped the bat, which soon after flew out of the room, causing Christian to loose his balance. He accidently grabbed the pendulum to stop his fall, causing a soft rumbling noise. Christian stepped back as the clock swung open, revealing a secret tunnel that he had never noticed before.

"Eve!" he called, "Eve come over here quickly!"

He soon heard the sound of Eve's heels hitting the hard wood floor and after a couple seconds, she was in the library.

"Mr. Wayne, what's wrong?"

Christian stepped aside to show her the secret passage and asked, "Is there any time in my schedule for spelunking?"

Eve nodded slowly, still trying to process what was happening. Christian assumed it might have been an old underground railroad; after all, the house was like a million years old.

Christian turned the flashlight on his phone on and led the way down the winding steps of the secret passage way. Eve followed closely behind, trying to keep her usual calm and cool attitude. When they reached the bottom, they found a large metal door with what looked like a password keyboard. Christian thought for a second, and then typed in his father's usual password, 'Thomas and Martha Wayne'.

The door slid open, revealing an expansive cave, filled to the brim with high tech gadgets and cars.

"No way…" Christian muttered to himself.

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Bruce and Mary Wayne (his daughter) sat at a table for three, waiting on Christian.

"Go figure that big shot businessman isn't coming," Sarah grumbled, annoyed with her brother for ditching them yet again."

"I'm sure he's coming, we didn't hire Eve for nothing," Bruce told her. He was a little disappointed as well though. As much as he hated to admit it, he was getting old. Bruce only wanted Christian and Sarah to have the father he never had, especially after what happened to their mother.

Suddenly, Bruce's phone went off, causing all the people in the restaurant to give him dirty glares. He waved sorry to them and looked at the phone. The caller ID said 'Christian Wayne', so he picked up, but what he heard from his son was unexpected.

"What the hell is this?"

Bruce, a bit confused now, answered, "What the hell is what?"

Christian's voice came back, seething with anger, "You want to admit the biggest secret you've ever kept from us in your life or do I have to explain it!"

Bruce's eyes widened, he had discovered the cave, "Christian I'm sorry, but I didn't know how to tell you. I quit being Batman and abandon the cave because of you and your sister, I couldn't bear the thought of not being there for you two."

"So you let the criminals in Gotham just run rampant because of us, Bruce things are worse then ever!"

Bruce shook his head, "You can never understand this Christian. At the time I had retired, I had reached the point where I almost couldn't control myself anymore. I couldn't do anything to endanger you two."

"You are coming home right now along with Sarah, and we are going to have a talk about this. I can't believe you kept something like this from us!"

Bruce sighed, "I'll be there in a bit."

Sarah looked over to him with concerned eyes, "What's wrong Dad?"

"Come on Sarah, we need to head over to the manor. You, Christian, and I are going to have a family talk," he answered, standing from his table and walking out towards the door. Sarah nodded and followed suit, leaving the restaurant with her father.

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As the two walked back, it began to storm. Thunder and lightning crashed as rain poured down heavily on them. Bruce held his hand in front of his face, trying to block his face from the rain, while Sarah just powered through as much as she could. As they continued towards where they parked, they heard footsteps behind them.

"Mr. Wayne, you're very far from home," said a shadowy figure

Bruce turned towards him and growled, "What do you want?"

"You're wallet and the lady's purse, on the ground now or I shoot you both."

Bruce froze up; it was as if he was reliving the worst day of his life.

"3…" the man counted, getting impatient

The gunshot that killed both his parents rang through his head as he stood still, eyes wide.

"2…"

The broken pearls seemed to be all he could see, the bloody, broken pearls.

"1…"

Bruce couldn't bring himself to move, the memory of his parents death was too much.

"That's it, I warned ya!" the man yelled. His gun fired, the sound of the shot rang through the whole block, just as it had before.

"DAD!" screamed Sarah. She turned to the man and yelled, "You bastard, I'll kil…"

She was cut off by another deafening gunshot, causing her top collapse in a mess of blood across from her father.

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Christian sat in front of the bat computer, tapping his fingers impatiently. His dad should have arrived much earlier, but instead he had decided to ditch what was actually important for a stupid dinner. He looked around at his father's legacy, all the suits, all the cars, all the gadgets, all the chemicals; it was overwhelming. He had always wondered why Bruce had forced him to spend most of his life mastering 100 different martial arts; he guessed this was it. As he continued to tap his fingers, waiting for his family to come home.

"Christian,"

Christian turned around and saw Eve holding a phone. He noticed that she was tearing up, almost as if she was about to break out crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked her seriously

"Your father and sister, they've been… they've been murdered."

Christian looked at her and was silent.

"Eve, you were never one to joke, I suggest you keep it that way," he growled menacingly.

Eve shook her head and said, "They were shot in an ally on the way home… I'm, I'm so sorry…"

Christian's eyes began to water, but he refused to accept it.

"no…" he muttered to himself as he ran out of the cave and into the garage, "NO!"

He started up the closest car he could find and sped off towards where Eve told him they had been shot.

When he arrived, he saw police cars surrounding the area, along with ambulances and other emergency vehicles.

Christian stepped out of his car, eyes widened with fear. He shoved past the policemen, running over towards where he saw the flashes of cameras. What he saw caused him to drop to his knees. His father and his sister, both dead in a pool of blood because of him, because he had been too selfish just to show up to eat dinner with them.

"Dad," he cried, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry…"

A policewoman approached him and said, "Son, are you alright?"

Christian looked up and saw a policewoman, not much older then he, who he recognized to be the police commissioner Jenna Carmen.

"This is all my fault," he cried, "if I had been there I could have stopped this…"

Jenna shook her head and said, "No, no Mr. Wayne, this isn't your fault, it's this city. It's slummed into an all time low, I'm just sorry it had to take two good people."

Christian slammed his fist on the ground, and let the rain soak his best suit. Feelings of sadness suddenly became overwhelmed with feelings of insatiable rage. His father and his baby sister were both gone. They were taken by the evil and the greedy, when they had done nothing wrong.

His dad, the Batman, had done so much for the city and now it just chewed him up like it did everything else. Commissioner Carmen was right, there is something wrong with this city. It seems to be cursed with vice and murder, unable to pull itself above the cloud of poverty that covered everything. He was alone, all alone.

**A/N: Please leave reviews to let me know if this is a good idea for a story. Again, I have no idea how this will be received, but take the AU changes with a grain of salt.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Again, this its still a shot in the dark, so if someone could tell me whether or not I should continue with this story or try something else. If you like it, please let me know!**

Chapter 2: Reborn

Eve watched as Christian put on his gear carefully; making sure everything was perfect. He had spent weeks perfecting the suit. Christian had spent thousands on making his orders as discrete as possible, causing his materials to be practically untraceable. The suit had more padding then the original, as well as a more compact belt with more slots.

"Greaves," Christian told her. Eve handed him the bladed gauntlets, being careful not to cut herself on the three edges that jutted out of the forearm.

She was honestly worried about her boss and friend. He had never joked, never laughed like he used to. The only time he would act like he used to was in front of the public, but she could see right through the ruse. Eve wasn't sure what she would see when he put on the mask, but whatever it was, it would be all that was left of him.

Christian slid his hand down his utility belt, and then snapped it around his waist. He held out his hand once more, and Eve placed the armored cowl in his hands. With his back still towards her, he pulled the cowl over his face and snapped the small neck guards into place. Christian turned around towards her so she could see. Eve stumbled backwards, her eyes wide in terror.

His glare was so intense, so determined, so angry. It was as if he wasn't even human anymore, rather a dark creature of unholy wrath.

"My God…" she gasped, looking at what was now Christian Wayne.

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"C'mon boys, let's get moving!"

The eight mobsters walked over towards the Gotham docks, weapons unconcealed. None of them were worried about being caught; they were rolling with Falcone. Gotham was their oyster and no cops could do shit about it.

"What are you waiting for idiots? Start cracking open the crates!"

The leader of the operation shook his head and lit up a smoke, this was going to be an easy night. They had paid off all the right people, gotten all the right weapons, and killed all the right victims. It would be a walk in the park.

"Hey boss, come look at this!" one of the mobsters called. The leader groaned in annoyance and walked over to see what the problem was.

"Check this out," he said pulling the doors open of one of the metal crates. Instead of the weapons and drugs they were expecting, there was a burning bat symbol.

"What the hell is this, some kind of prank?" the leader growled, clearly not happy that they had missed a crate.

His henchman started to whimper, "do you think it's him?"

The leader snorted, "No one's seen the bat in twenty years idiot. Someone obviously has off'd him.

Suddenly, the two men heard a scream, causing them to whirl around. A few seconds later, they saw one of their men tearing past them, pale as snow.

"What the hell is going on?" yelled the leader, "hey, come back!"

"What do we do?" whispered one of the men, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Get out there and find out what the fuck is going on!" the leader commanded

All the henchmen nodded and went out on a search for whatever was disposing of them.

"AHHHH!" a gunshot sounded, and then silence. The leader whirled around, what the fuck was doing this?

"No, NO!"

Another man down, how was this possible!

"Stay away, STAY AWAY!"

A loud crashing noise resonated through the docks, causing the leader to begin a retreat. His men were gone, all gone, Falcone wouldn't be happy.

WHOOSH

The leader spun around, he knew he heard something. Suddenly, a dark figure passed by him again, diving in-between two of the crates. The leader smiled and started walking towards the crates.

"No where you can run now you bastard!"

When he turned the corner, he dropped the gun in fear. The figure turned around, revealing it's white, penetrating eyes and its angry snarl.

"Who says I'm running," the creature growled, standing menacingly over the cowering man.

"You, you're not real! The Batman is gone!"

Batman picked up the man by the collar and looked him straight in the eyes, "DO I LOOK DEAD!"

"N-no, please don't hurt me!"

"I have a message for Falcone," Batman snarled, slamming the criminal against one of the crates, "stay out of Gotham!"

With that, Batman knocked the man's head against the crate, rendering him unconscious.

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"KARA!"

Kara was relaxing on the couch when she heard Clark call over to her.

"What is it Clark?" she asked, turning towards her retired uncle.

"Kara turn on the news right now," he told her, sitting down right next to her.

"Why what is it?" Kara asked, turning on the tv, "Is our good old friend Lex up to something?"

"No, it's another old friend…"

Kara turned to the tv and gasped when she saw the news story.

"Has the Batman returned?" said the reporter, "last night a weapons and drug cartel was stop cold in its tracks by a mysterious assailant, leaving all the criminals tied up with several broken bones. We now have a birds eye view of his calling card as well."

The screen shifted to an overhead view of what looked like a bat symbol, made up of burning drugs and weapons.

"You don't think…" she said

Clark nodded, "I think you may have to pay our friend Christian a visit."

Kara sighed, she really hoped Christian had not taken up the same warpath his father had many years ago. But she had seen his eyes, seen the hatred and anger that had replaced what used to be happiness and innocence. Her friend was now gone, replaced with the wraith of the Wayne family.

"Clark, what should I tell him?"

Clark thought for a bit, then answered, "He's always seen you as someone special, if he'll listen to anyone it'll be you Kara."

Kara nodded and flew off towards Gotham to confront the new Batman.

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"You made the headline Mr. Wayne," Eve told Christian, tossing him a newspaper. He woke up groggily and took a look at it.

"Eight criminals captured," he read out loud, "Gotham's Dark Knight has returned."

"Yes, it seems you have your father's taste for the theatrics, but wasn't the burning emblem a bit much?" Eve said, opening up the blinds in his room to let some light in.

Christian shook his head, "I need to send a message; I need the criminals to know that they should be afraid to come out of hiding."

"Well just remember you have a company to run still," Eve told him as she opened the door for her boss.

Christian laughed as he walked out, "You basically run it anyways, don't you?"

Eve rolled her eyes, and followed Christian into the kitchen, ready to recite the day's plans.

"You have a meeting at three with the board," she listed off, "Also your friend Ms. Kent is waiting for you in the living room."

Christian nodded as he began eating the small breakfast Eve had prepared for him.

"Some of the new orders you made have come in as well, but if you don't mind me asking, why do you need a red light? I thought you wanted to stay hidden."

Christian swallowed his food and answered, "It's to startle them. I'm going to place the light in my chest so it can turn on when I jump the last man up or when I'm facing off with someone and I still need intimidation on my side."

Eve nodded and walked off with her clipboard in hand, leaving Christian alone to finish his food.

When Christian finished he went to the living room to see what Kara wanted. When Kara saw him, she shot him a winning smile and moved over to make room for him on the couch. Christian just walked over and sat down in the armchair across from it. Kara's smile faltered a bit, but she was still determined that her best friend was still the same.

"So Christian, how have things been going," she asked him

"Things are going fine, thanks. How long are you gonna be in town?"

"Well Jimmy is coming here for that board meeting this week. It's with your company, remember?"

Christian chuckled, "Yeah, I guess it is. I'm sure Eve mentioned it to me, but I probably just forgot."

"Well thank God she's there to keep you together," Kara laughed

Eve walked in and placed a tea plate between them and gave Kara a friendly smile. "Mr. Wayne wouldn't be able to run the business without me."

Christian put his hands up and said, "Guilty as charged. So how long are you gonna stay?"

"Probably until the conference is over, say Christian, would you like to have dinner with us?"

Christian thought for a bit and then answered, "I don't know Kara, ever since my dad died, the company has been a bit more demanding…"

Eve interrupted and said, "I can call you if anything comes up, go enjoy yourself Christian."

Christian shot her a glare; he couldn't have evening plans, not with his new occupation at least.

"Mr. Wayne, you need to have some fun, you haven't done anything since…"

Christian sighed in defeat, "Alright Kara, what time?"

"Meet us at The Rose this evening, don't be late," she told him as she stood and walked out.

"The Rose," Christian muttered to himself, "I'm gonna need a date."

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Christian stepped in The Rose with a beautiful brunette model around his arm, he had to keep up appearances. The waiter guided them over to the table where Jimmy and Kara were sitting dressed in their nicest cloths.

"Jimmy, Kara!" Christian smiled, trying to keep up his act, "How are you two?"

Jimmy shook Christian's hand and motioned towards his seat, "Come, sit Christian, we haven't spoken in so long!"

Christian pulled the chair out for his date and then sat down next to her.

"So Christian," Kara asked, "who's your date?"

"I think her name's, Natalie, but I can never be too sure," Christian said, shooting the bimbo model a winning smile.

The model giggled and answered, "No Christian, I'm Katie. Our red haired mutual friend is Natalie."

Kara shot Christian a glare of utter disgust, just the reaction he wanted.

"Ahh yes, Katie, but a enough about me, tell me how business is going."

Jimmy answered, "It's going pretty well, Kara's been working hard to set up our websites and I've been trying to widen our range of readers. Your paper is sure to make some serious cash!"

"Yes I'm sure Wayne En…" Christian's phone suddenly went off, causing the waiter to shoot him a glare.

"Would you excuse me, it seems business calls," Christian said, standing up quietly.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Kara asked, her eyebrow rose suspiciously.

Christian waved to them as he walked out, "Sorry Kara, maybe another time."

When he left the restaurant, he ran into an ally and answered the call.

"Eve, what's going on?"

"There's a hostage situation down on fourth street, you better get over there quickly," she answered, "I've sent you the car along with the suit."

Christian turned around and the headlights of the bat mobile burst into life. Changing into his suit, Christian jumped into the car and started it up. The engine roared loudly, the car humming with power. He finished changing then sped off towards fourth.

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When Batman arrived at the scene, he saw multiple police cars surrounding a small apartment complex.

He parked the car in the shadows, and then grappled to the roof of the opposite building.

Activating his thermal vision, he scanned the apartment, finding the four armed men on the fifth floor. He decided the best entry point would be through one of the windows on the seventh floor.

It was close enough so he could get to the man quickly, but he wouldn't be able to here it.

Batman spread his cape and jumped off, gliding towards the window. As he glided over the street, he heard people screaming below him and police yelling into their radios.

With a crash, he burst through the window and scanned the floor. He found an abandon elevator shaft, it would be perfect for getting down to the fifth floor. Batman jumped and grabbed the cord and slid down to the fifth floor silently.

When he reached the closed elevator door, he jumped on the small ledge. With little difficulty, he pulled them open and looked through.

In front of him was one of the armed men, completely oblivious to his presence. Batman grabbed him by the neck and chocked him until he fell unconscious, then hung him by the feet from the elevator shaft.

He moved on silently, looking around for the hostages. Another armed man walked around the corner to check up on his friend. Before he could report the man missing, Batman descended onto him from the rafters and knocked him out violently, causing the radio to drop.

"Hello, hello?" one of the criminals called over the radio, "Shit, he's here!"

The two criminals started searching for the unknown wraith ruining their operation. Nervously, one of the men turned on his light, revealing Batman standing right in front of him. The bat emblem started to glow a violent red as he jumped at the gunman, knocking the gun out of his hands before he could do anything.

The gunman tried to punch Batman, but he just grabbed the man's fist and slammed his other hand into his elbow, breaking the criminal's arm.

"I've got you now Bat!" screamed the other man, aiming his rifle at Batman.

The Batman whirled around and tossed three batarangs at him, impaling his hand and causing him to drop the gun. The criminal tried to turn and run, but Batman jumped on top of him. He proceeded to break both the man's hand and his leg, leaving him crippled on the ground crying for mercy.

The threats had been neutralized; now time to find the hostages. Batman walked over to where he found four tied up figures with bags on their head. When he whipped off the bag, he saw that the hostages weren't people, but dolls with bombs strapped to their head. Batman noticed there was a note tied to one of their heads. He opened it up and read it to himself.

"Antonio Falcone says hi," he muttered, then crumpled the card and threw it away.

As fast as he could, Batman jumped through the window, gliding out just as the bombs went off, sending the whole building up in flames.

Kara watched in horror as the building Christian had just went into erupted in front of her.

"NO!" she yelled, flying over towards the smoldering remains.

Kara used her x ray vision to try and find her friend trapped, and hopefully alive, under the wreck.

"Batman, Batman where are you!" she yelled, flinging the remains of the apartment aside. As she continued digging, her super hearing picked up on a silent noise, the noise that wind makes when blowing against loose clothes. She turned around and saw Batman's dark figure gliding away towards the outer city. As fast and silently as she could, she followed him.

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"Mr. Falcone, the Batman won't be a problem anymore," Falcone's messenger told the mob boss.

"Hah!" Antonio laughed, "hear that!"

The mayor of Gotham, Jordan Phillips, nodded and said, "your operations should have no trouble now."

"Yeah, just keep the police useless and I'll keep you rich and powerful," Antonio told him, wrapping his arm around his shoulder, "No lets enjoy this dinner."

The six people sitting around the table began to eat and drink to the Batman's death, who knew it would be so easy?

"So Jordan, we need to talk about this new Commissioner, Ms. Carmen," Antonio said, taking a sip from his wine.

The mayor laughed and answered, "there's nothing to worry about from her, if she steps out of line I'll have her fired or killed in a second."

"Good, because if she gets anything on us, we're both going down," growled Antonio.

Suddenly, as the waiter brought out the second course, the lights flickered off.

"What happened to the lights?' one of the women asked, looking around nervously.

Antonio growled, "I don't know, just get the…"

Three smoke grenades crashed through the window, covering the room in a veil of thick, black fog. Antonio, Jordan, and the four other women were coughing, stumbling around the room trying to find the light switch.

"Ladies, gentlemen," a voice growled from the cloud, "you've eaten well. You've eaten Gotham's wealth, it's spirits, but your feast is over. From this moment on, I have returned to pass terrible judgment upon you all. None of you are safe."

The crowd gasped in horror as Batman emerged from the darkness, his emblem glowing bright red, and his eyes terrifying and angry.

"You, you should be dead!" yelled Antonio

"Let this be a warning to you all, cease preying on the innocent or I will crack down on you harder and faster then anything you've ever seen before," Batman growled.

The smoke began to clear as more armed guards entered the room, but by then the Batman was gone.

"Antonio, we're screwed!" yelled the mayor, staggering backwards. Falcone turned and saw a simple recorder lying on the ground with a note attached to it saying "one more to commissioner Carmen."

Falcone slammed his fist against the wall and yelled out in anger, "After twenty fucking years he has to come back now!"

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Christian parked the batmobile in the large circle that jutted out from the center of the cave and walked over towards Eve, who was standing in front of him with a nervous look on her.

"What's wrong Eve?" he asked, pulling off his mask and placing it on the computer.

Eve swallowed and then pointed over towards Kara, who was standing behind them with her arms crossed and an equally as cross look.

"Kara, what are you doing here?" Christian asked, angry that his secret was already out.

"Why are you doing this Christian?" she asked, walking towards him.

"What do you mean why am I doing this? Kara, Gotham is rotting, ROTTING, from the core and you expect me to do nothing? I'm doing what my father would have done, what he would have wanted me to do!"

Kara placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down.

"Why have you been following me all night?" he snarled, shifting back into Batman mode.

Kara's eyes widened, "How did you know?"

"You wear a white shirt and a red cape, in the dead of night those aren't to hard to spot," Christian told her, "plus only ten minutes on my father's computer told me everything, Superwoman."

Kara lowered her head "you know why I couldn't tell you…"

"I'm not mad that you didn't tell me, but what right do you have to pass judgment down on what I'm doing if you're doing the same thing!" Christian yelled at her, looking her straight in the eyes.

"But Christian," Kara begged him, "you aren't doing this out of the goodness of your heart, this is for revenge and trying to deal with your family's death!"

"Maybe it is, but what does it matter?"

Kara put her hand on his cheek and answered with tears in her eyes, "because I don't want to see you go down that road. I don't want you to become as obsessed and angry as your father was."

Christian grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his cheek, "nothing matters, nothing but the mission."

Christian walked up the steps and when he reached the top he called back down, "I assume you know the way out."

Kara cringed as she heard the door slam behind him. She turned towards Eve, who was clutching her clipboard nervously.

"What happened, it's like he's not even Christian anymore?" Kara asked Eve, who turned to face her.

"What do you think happen," Eve told her angrily, "Ms. Kent for twelve weeks after his father and sister were murdered he was left alone. No one called, not even you, his best friend! He used the only way he thought he knew to deal with it, and that was to become the creature you see now. You were almost everything to him, and you left him!"

"What do you mean," Kara asked

"It doesn't matter now," Eve said, shaking her head, "Whatever feelings he had have died with him. This is all he has left."

Eve followed Christian upstairs, leaving Kara alone in the dark.

"Christian…" Kara said to herself, tears welling up in her eyes.

**A/N: Please review, I really need the feedback!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to my one reviewer, your feedback is greatly appreciated! As to my other readers, please leave reviews so I can improve the story as I write it. Thank you and enjoy!**

Chapter Three: Identity

Kara sat on Christian's couch and watched the news. Apparently Gotham's mayor had been taken into custody just recently for illegal mob deals and plotting murder because of an anonymous tape dropped off at the police commissioner's desk. It was no doubt the work of the new Batman. When asked to comment, the commissioner simply said, "I do not condone this vigilante, but the Batman has done good in the past and I have high hopes that this newcomer will do the same."

"You're still here?"

Kara turned around and saw Christian wearing nothing but sweatpants, glaring at her.

"Well I had nowhere else to go at the time," she told him, trying not to let Christian get to her.

"What about Jimmy?"

Kara sighed, "He doesn't know I'm here, and I'd rather keep it that way."

Christian's glare hardened a bit, "I won't tell him."

Kara gave him a small smile and moved over as he sat down next to her.

"So, I'm sorry about what I said last night… I was out of line," he told her

Kara laughed, "It's alright, you had every right to be angry."

"But I do stand by what I told you, the mission is now the most important thing," he looked her dead in the eye.

Kara leaned in and whispered quietly, "Are you sure?"

Christian backed away, "Yes, I can't have any of my emotions interfering with this. I can't let myself lose anyone else."

Kara sighed, "I understand…"

"Don't think I don't care about you, but nothing can interfere with my job. I let my own baby sister die, along with my father. I have to continue his work, even if that means giving myself to this city."

Kara tried to find anything in his eyes that may hint that somewhere her old friend was still in there, but as always; they were just sad and angry.

"You can stay here if you want," Christian offered, "I mean, if you don't have an apartment."

"It's alright, I have a place in a safer part of town," Kara told him, "but I'll be staying in Gotham for a while. If you need anyone, just call me."

Kara kissed Christian on the cheek and then walked out, leaving him with Eve.

"Sir, would you like me to tend to your cuts? I learned a thing or two in my time in the peace core."

Christian raised his eyebrow, "You were in the peace core?"

"Believe it or not, I was quite a rebellious teenager," Eve told him

Christian laughed, "When the hell did that all go?"

"When I had to start babysitting a twenty five year old sir," Eve answered, flicking him in the ear. Christian smiled and followed her into the kitchen to eat.

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Antonio Falcone sat down angrily in front of his desktop computer; he was ready to rant. He kept repeating to himself 'out of all these years, he has to pick now to return.'

Opening up a window in Google chrome, he typed in the web address to a site that he and his criminal network all used.

"We have a problem," he typed in angrily, hoping he would get some response.

After a couple seconds, some responses appeared bellow his message.

"The Bat needs to be dealt with, fast."

"All west side operations have been put under extreme strain because of him, its like this guy's everywhere at once!"

"Did anyone actually record this thing's death?"

Falcone slammed his fist on the table and screamed at the screen, "Does anyone know how to get rid of this guy!"

He typed in his angry message and waited for more responses.

"I think we may just have to be more careful, if we conduct our operations further in the shadows, we may be able to sneak by him."

"That won't work, the thing freakin lives in the shadows!"

"Has anyone actually tried shooting him?'

Antonio's blood pressure continued to rise as his message was flooded with idiotic replies. Shooting him, blowing him up, stabbing him, didn't these guys have half a brain? If the bat could be killed in any of those ways, he would have already been dead! No, there had to be a way to kill a legend, there had to be…

Suddenly a message from username IDENTITY popped up.

"I will dispose of the Batman."

No one seemed to respond; as if they were in shock that someone they didn't even know could kill the bat.

"Oh yeah? And what makes you think it's that easy," Falcone typed, almost laughing.

"Turn your televisions to the Gotham city news at ten o' clock tonight, and you will see for yourself," the mysterious IDENTITY responded.

Falcone thought for a bit, if the guy was for real, then they could possibly off the bat for good. If he was lying, then Antonio would just have him turn up in a ditch somewhere within the next month.

"All right," Antonio typed, "How much do you want?"

"I do not require money, I have sufficient funds."

A pleasure killer? Antonio knew these weren't the type to mess with, but it was worth it to get rid of the bat.

"Alright, we'll see what you can do."

"Do not fret, very soon I will return control of Gotham to you."

Antonio smiled, this guy might not be so bad after all.

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Eve sat down on the couch in the TV room and flicked on the news channel. Christian was out rubbing elbows with the socialites of Gotham, so she had some time to herself to relax.

She had basically had to shove Christian out the door tonight, insisting that he have an existing social life to at least cover up his midnight activities.

Sipping on some tea, she flipped through the channels, trying to find something interesting. As she was skimming through the different shows, she heard a ring at the doorbell.

With a sigh, she stood up walked over towards the door, which continued to ring until she finally opened it.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wayne isn't home right n… Mr. Kent?"

Connor Kent stepped in and said, "It's alright, I can wait."

Eve nodded and showed him over to the living room where he sat down on Christian's favorite armchair.

"What can I do for you Mr. Kent," she asked, bringing him a drink and sitting down across from him.

Connor looked around for a bit, as if looking for something, and then answered, "I assume my cousin was not very successful in persuading Christian to stop what he's doing."

"He's a very stubborn person, I doubt he'll listen to you either."

Connor laughed, "Oh, I don't expect him to listen. Hell, I don't even expect him to give me a chance to talk."

Eve raised her eyebrow curiously, "OK, then what possible reason could you have for being here?"

"I just came here to relay a message," Connor told her, sipping on his drink, "I'm going to be watching him."

"What do you mean?" asked Eve

"I mean that if the government is threatened by the Batman's return, I will stop him."

Eve glared at Connor intensely, "Yes, I heard there was a law against vigilantism."

"Just tell him to watch himself, because if someone tells me that he's gone too far, I won't hesitate to take him out," Connor said, standing from his seat.

"Is that all Mr. Kent?"

Connor shook his head, "Look, just please make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. My cousin may not be able to see it, but he's not very stable."

"Mr. Kent, I've been watching over him for five years now and I don't intend to stop now."

"Well as long as we've got that out of the way I think I'll be going," Connor told her, standing up.

Eve nodded, "have a good day Mr. Kent"

Once Connor left the manor, Eve sighed in relief and turned the TV back on. It was about ten o' clock now, so the more interesting stories should be being aired. She flipped to GCN and began watching their normal broadcasts, until something strange happened.

The screen started going fuzzy, and then suddenly the broadcast feed cut off.

After a couple minutes, the feed flickered back, revealing a man sitting at a desk with a black cloak covering his torso and a red Oni mask with the eye's cut out.

"Greetings Gotham," the man announced in a strange, metallic voice (most likely because of a voice modulator), "I am Identity. I apologize for the interruption of your normal programming; do not worry though, it will be back on momentarily after I make this ever so important announcement."

Eve watched curiously, trying to figure out if this masked man was just part of GCN's everlasting fight for ratings.

"This message I send out is to announce my presence to this city and to all those who believe they control it. This message, though, is not to the corrupt, but rather the people. The people, who have for so long been crushed under corrupt politicians and wealthy pigs."

Eve continued to watch, but reached for her cell phone just in case she needed to get Christian on the line.

"I have come as a liberator, and to prove that I have another announcement. In 35 seconds, the governor of this state will die."

Eve stared at the screen; this guy couldn't possibly be serious? With that announcement, the police would surely be able to stop the murderer now that they were expecting it!

She watched as the man looked at a silver watch that was on his right wrist and wait for thirty-five seconds. When the seconds were up, he looked back up and said, "If you would all kindly turn to CNN right now."

Eve curiously switched over to CNN to see if the man's threat was as stupid as it sounded. When she reached the channel, her jaw dropped. Just as the masked man had predicted, the governor had just recently died of unknown causes.

She quickly dialed up Christian's number and flipped back to GCN to keep tabs on this new terrorist.

"As I'm sure you've all just seen," he stated, "my power is very real. Now those who are true and have not kept the poor under their boot have no reason to be scared. I know why you all have not taken your rightful places in society and that is because you are scared. You are scared, who wouldn't be?"

"Christian, are you seeing this?" Eve said over the phone

"Yeah," Christian growled over the phone (obviously in costume), "I'm heading over there right now."

"I'll go down to the cave and keep tabs on you, just be careful!"

Eve ran down to the batcave and switched on the computer. She activated the GPS surveillance along with keeping a corner of the computer monitoring Identity's speech.

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Batman sped over towards the GCN broadcast station, sliding to a stop in front of the tall building. Jumping out of the car, he passed by three policemen, who were too scared to do anything to stop him, and broke down the doors with a single, powerful kick.

He ran over to the elevator and started to mash the up button, but soon found that Identity had deactivated them all. Snarling in frustration, Batman turned towards the door to the stairs and ran inside.

He looked up at the spiraling staircase and shot up a grappling line, attaching it to the top stair rail. With a click, Batman attached the line to his belt and ascended upwards towards the studio room.

As he raced up, he kept taking thermal scans of each floor. It seemed as if each one was abandoned for some reason or another, but why?

"Eve, I'm on my way up, but the building seems to be completely empty," he reported

"Empty, but how? Identity has to be in there, it's the only way he could get on the GCN broadcast," she answered, "And judging by the background of the room he's reporting in, I'd say he has to be in their main studio."

Christian was getting closer to the top, his line carrying him as fast as it could.

As he got closer, he could here Identity's speech continue. The man had to be stopped before he started a riot within the unstable of Gotham.

"You're needs and your rights have been blatantly disregarded by these so called 'leaders'. You have been lied to and cheated!"

Batman jumped over the rail of the top floor and kicked down the double doors.

"Eve, what direction is the main studio?"

Eve responded quickly, "Go three doors down this hallway and take a right!"

Batman ran as fast as he could, his heart beating quickly as he attempted to track down this anarchist.

"Even now, the self appointed protector of the true criminals of Gotham is on his way to stop me!"

Batman turned the corner and sprinted towards the now even clearer voice.

"Turn left down this next hall," Eve told him calmly.

He quickly obeyed and turned the corner, still hearing the man's charismatic speech ringing through his mind. If he didn't stop Identity soon, he would gather followers. Also, how was he able to kill the governor so quickly and so easily? All his questions would be answered once he got his hands on the psychopath.

"The business men and politicians of this city are like a diseased limb, and like any diseased limb they must be severed for the whole to survive!"

Identity's voice was gaining strength now; he was about to finish his speech. Batman picked up his pace, throwing three explosives at the door labeled "Studio One"

The doors blew open as Batman jumped in, looking over towards the masked figure sitting behind the anchor's desk.

"And here he is now," the figure told the cameras, "No matter, my message is complete. Now I turn this over to the people, sever the arm!"

As violently as he could, Batman grabbed the cloaked figure and threw him across the room, making sure the camera could see. He jumped over towards where the man was slumped on the wall and picked him up by the collar.

"Why are you doing this, who are you?" he snarled, shoving Identity's back against the wall.

"I am merely here to insure true justice is served," Identity answered

Something was wrong and Batman knew it. No criminals would allow themselves to get caught this easily. He tore off the mask and saw the face of a well-made animatronics smiling back at him.

"You believe the people you defend are innocent," Identity continued, "but they are just as guilty as you are. I will see to it that Gotham is remade in my perfect image."

"And that is?"

"Anarchy," Identity answered, almost as if that one word tasted like the sweetest honey.

The circuits suddenly blew out, leaving Batman with just a fried robot. Batman pulled out a small chip from the bot's head and then threw it on the ground.

"Eve, I have something that needs analyzing when I return," he reported while breaking open one of the windows.

"Sure thing, just bring it back and I'll see what I can do."

Batman jumped through the window and extended his cape, allowing him to drift down slowly through the air. As he glided down, he reviewed the case in his head.

The governor had just dropped dead, no bullet, now foaming at the mouth, just one minute he was living, next minute he wasn't. How was it that Identity was able to pull off such a perfect murder? He had to be stopped quickly before he began gaining followers, but how?

When he landed, he saw Commissioner Carmen along with three other policemen surrounding his car.

"What can I do for you Commissioner," he rasped calmly, trying to keep his intimidating stature without provoking anyone.

"This man," Jenna Carmen told him, "he's just killed off two other people. One of them was the imprisoned mayor, the other is the GCN anchor, Ryan West."

"I have now idea how he's able to commit these murders without actually being present. Maybe it's some sort of poison, but I'll have to look into it more," Batman responded as he opened the hood of his car.

Jenna bit her lip, then said, "Look, I've always been a fan of yours. What you did, or rather what your predecessor did, was a great service to this city."

_How does she know I'm not the same batman_, Christian thought to himself as he listened to the commissioner.

"Anyways, I've been told I have to arrest you on site due to your technically illegal activities, but because I don't think we can handle this case on our own, we'll need you help."

"I understand," Batman answered, jumping into his seat and starting up the batmobile.

"But after that, we get back to basics. You are still to be convicted of multiple charges."

Batman nodded and slid the hood of the car close. With a loud roar, the batmobile took off into the night, leaving the commissioner and her police at the scene of the crime.

**A/N: I figured now would be a good time to pull in a super villain. Plz review**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Please review, I would really enjoy feedback. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!**

Chapter Four: Dinner Party

The morning after Identity's first broadcast, Christian sat at the bat computer trying to figure out a way to stop him.

"He left this chip at the crime scene," Christian told Eve, plugging the small data storage unit into the computer.

"Are you sure putting that thing in there is a good idea, what if it's a trap," Eve responded as she watched the screen over Christian's shoulders.

"I did a scan on it and it seems to be a normal SD card that you'd get out of a video camera. There's not tracking device or anything."

Eve bit her lip nervously as Christian loaded up the data on the card into the computer. Once it was finished loading, Christian took a deep breath and clicked on the video file.

A large cursive I appeared on the screen and then flickered off. Identity's masked face appeared on the screen holding a conductor's wand.

"Greetings Batman," he said in his strange robotic modified voice, "If you are watching this, it means that you've found the small chip in the back of my robot's head. This message can only be played once, so listen well."

"Eve, I need you to take some notes on this for later analysis," Eve nodded, grabbing her clipboard and a pen. Christian turned back to the screen and glared at the masked anarchist as he began his statement.

"First, I would like to make this clear. I have the upmost respect for you, a man willing to fight for his ideals is something to be applauded. So, you must understand when I say I cannot continue to allow your interference. Now the mob wants you dead, but I'd much rather end this without confrontation."

Christian glared at the screen; the man was just playing with him. If he really knew Batman, he should know that backing down was not an option.

"Now, I have two choices for you," Identity continued, "you may leave Gotham and allow the people's revolution or you may stay, but I must warn you. There will be death; the streets of Gotham will run red with the blood of the corrupt so called 'leaders' of society. A crescendo of destruction will end their generation." Identity waved his conductor's wand and the feed cut off.

Christian pulled the chip out of the computer and examined it. The card was fried; it had been set to destroy its circuits after being played.

Christian tried to think of who this man could be, but there were no clues at all. Each murder had been practically untraceable, and until the morgue's autopsy returned he would have no idea what the cause of death was.

"What do you think Eve," Christian asked, staring at the screen as if Identity was still watching him.

"I think that he is quickly gaining followers,"

Christian turned around in his chair, "What do you mean?"

Eve showed him her I phone, where she had googled the Identity. There were thousands of websites dedicated to him, made by his followers. Apparently Identity had been preaching anarchy online and had converted many. The fools, Christian thought, they blindly follow a demented ideal from a psychopath they do not even know.

Eve pulled up one of the sites and showed Christian videos made by Identity speaking to his followers. Each of his speeches was unnervingly charismatic, and frightening as well. In each one he denounced the fraud that was the American justice system, the government's blind disregard for they should be protecting, and his displeasure with anyone with a drop of power.

"How are they able to follow someone with such twisted morals?" Christian asked Eve, staring in disbelief at some of the responses praising their leader.

"The internet can be a twisted and distorted place. His followers probably have nothing, and revel in the idea of being part of a movement as large as this," Eve told him, taking her I phone back from Christian.

"I'm going to need to look over this case, will you stay here tonight and help me?"

Eve laughed and answered, "Of course I can't stay here tonight, and neither can you!"

"Why is that," Christian asked, walking over to his workbench, where he removed his utility belt and placed it on the table.

"Because, you have a fundraiser tonight to help out the Daily Planet's charity for leukemia."

Christian looked over to eve and raised his eyebrow in an annoyed fashion. "Seriously? Eve this is much more important!"

"Mr. Wayne if you haven't forgotten, you need a social life outside of this!" Eve scolded him, "I only promised to help you if you continued to fulfill you duties as the CEO of Wayne Enterprises."

Christian couldn't believe Eve was going to force him into this, but unfortunately he did need her help. If she was going to stay onboard he had to humor her this once.

"Fine, where is this fundraiser?"

Eve smiled and flipped to the schedule attached to her clipboard. "The fundraiser is at a penthouse suite in the Red Carpet Hotel. I will have your suit prepared for you and your car ready for when you leave."

Christian groaned, "Why should I go to this? Cant' you go instead?"  
Eve shook her head and said, "I don't technically run this company, you need to make an appearance or it will make many people very upset. Plus, Ms. Kent will be there, so you shouldn't have to horrible of a time."

Christian rolled his eyes; Eve just loved to tease him about Kara, even though he had adamantly told her that he couldn't have a relationship with her.

Every time he would deny any feelings for her, Eve would just smile and joke, "Alright Mr. Wayne, whatever you say."

Christian moved behind the dressing screen and removed his suit and put on a button down shirt and some casual pants. He followed Eve upstairs; who had told him breakfast was ready, even though it was practically lunchtime.

"Hey Eve, did someone come to visit me last night?" he asked as he chewed on his food.

Eve nodded and answered, "Yes, Mr. Connor Kent wanted to make it absolutely clear you were under close surveillance."

"Oh?" Christian laughed, "and where is Connor now?"

"I believe he has returned to Metropolis, something about an escaped Gorilla with psychokinetic abilities."

Christian shook his head, "Everything seems much brighter over in Metropolis."

"Yes," Eve responded as she cut some bread for herself, "Gotham does seem to be under some kind of curse."

Christian swallowed his eggs, savoring Eve's excellent cooking. "I've noticed all the terrorists and psychopaths love to call this place home."

"And what does that make us?"

"The same as the rest."

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"Kara, have you seen my tie?"

Kara turned towards Jimmy as he frantically looked for his favorite tie. "I cant' seem to find it anywhere, and I can't be late to my own fundraiser!"

She used her x-ray vision to look through the room for the silk blue tie as Jimmy worried himself helplessly. Finally, she located the article of clothing right under a pile of laundry that Jimmy had meant to wash.

"Have you checked under the dirty laundry?" she suggested, putting on her earings.

Jimmy moved over towards the laundry pile and looked through it until he managed to grab his tie from the mess.

"Thanks honey, what would I do without you," he said, kissing her on the cheek. Kara smiled back and finished preparing herself for the party. As much as she hated them, she knew Jimmy had to rub elbows with the society hags to get his good cause up and running.

As she slipped on her heels, she heard Jimmy ask, "So do you think Wayne will be coming to this party?"

Kara thought for a bit. It was quite possible that Christian wouldn't show up. Even though he loved these social events, he had changed completely. She had no idea whether he still liked joking around with his wealthy friends, or if he would just brood in the corner like he tended to do lately. "I don't know, he's still having a hard time getting over the death of his family."

"Yeah, the poor guy."

Jimmy finished putting on his shoes and held his arm out, allowing Kara to hook hers around his.

"Shall we go?"

Kara giggled, "Yes, lets."

Jimmy led her over towards the elevator and called it. Once the elevator doors opened up, he and Kara stepped in and clicked the button to the top floor. The elevator rose slowly, playing that obnoxious music that Kara hated so much.

She had high hopes that Christian was there, last time they had talked was two weeks ago, and they hadn't ended on the best of terms.

The doors slid open, revealing the sight of the true spoils of wealth. The nicest penthouse in all of Gotham, decked out with gourmet entrées, the best music money could buy, and sophisticated drinks.

"I must say, you've outdone yourself sweetheart," Kara complimented, looking at the fat spread on the food table.

"Yes, well all the money is going to a good cause. I want to make a difference in this world and it's not gonna happen if I'm just sitting around doing nothing," Jimmy told her, grabbing two glasses of champagne. He handed one to Kara and the two clinked their glasses together in cheers.

"You've done a wonderful job with this party Mr. Olsen,"

The two turned around and saw Eve in a nightgown, a rare sight.

"Eve, how are you," Jimmy greeted, giving her a hug, "I hope you are enjoying the party."

"I couldn't have planned something better myself," she answered, taking a sip from her drink.

"Eve Wesson, enjoying herself at a party, I didn't think it was possible," he joked, putting his arm around Kara.

"Yeah," Kara laughed, "So I'm guessing if you're here you've dragged Christian along as well."

Eve nodded, "Mr. Wayne is somewhere, probably at the bar right now."

"Say Eve, are you and Christian an item? I know you work for him, but I always see you two together," Jimmy asked as he grabbed a small lamb kabob from one of the waiters.

Eve's face immediately turned bright red as she stammered, "No, no not at all Mr. Olsen! Mr. Wayne is my best friend and boss, but I'm with him all the time because his father asked me to."

"Really? You know I never heard the story of how you came under Christian's employment," Kara asked, now very curious.

"Well, you see Mr. Wayne had some trouble at first running Wayne Enterprises, so my father hired to help him out," Eve explained, "At first I wasn't too excited because of Mr. Wayne's, erm, reputation."

"Did he try to hit on you back then," Jimmy laughed, thinking of Christian putting the moves on his secretary.

Kara elbowed Jimmy in the arm and shot him a glare, then turned back to Eve. "Please, continue."

"As I was saying, I began to work with Mr. Wayne to help him organize his time. One day when I was filing some papers for him, one of board members started to harass me. Even though I told him to leave me alone, he kept persisting to the point where I was about to report him," Eve continued, "When I suggested that, he grew violent and agitated. He was obviously drunk, and I honestly thought he was going to take advantage of me."

"So what did you do?" Kara asked, wrapped up in the story.

"Well, as luck would have it, Mr. Wayne happened to turn the corner and spot what his co-worker was doing. I thought for sure that nothing would be done, since Mr. Wayne had always hit on me and since the man was a member of the Wayne Enterprises board. But instead of doing what I thought he would, he fired the man on the spot. As much as he tried to make excuses and soften Mr. Wayne up, he stood strong and told the board member to pack his bags and leave."

"Wow, so Christian saved you?"

Eve nodded, "believe it or not, under all people say he is, Mr. Wayne is a kind and generous person. He may not act like it, but I know him better then anyone, maybe just as much as his sister did."

"Wow, that's an incredible story," Kara told her.

"Yeah, it's what helps me remember not to give up on him," Eve laughed, "even if he is a bit thick skulled at times."

The three laughed heartily together and then toasted to the good Mr. Wayne. Kara looked around and saw Christian sitting at the bar, slouched over and brooding. She felt bad for him, and wanted him to at least enjoy himself with the rest of them while she was still in Gotham.

Kara decided to approach Christian, despite what may have happened before. It was worth it to get a genuine smile out of her old friend.

When she reached the bar, she tapped him on the shoulder and said lightly, "You know, drinking to much is bad for you right?"

Christian turned and looked at her, showing Kara the bags under his eyes and other results of the extra stress of Batman. Putting on his best smile, he answered, "Well I figured since three exes of mine have already dumped their drinks on me, why stop the booze from coming?"

"Oooh, edgy," she laughed, sitting down beside him. She could still see the mask, the fake smile he always put on. She could still see the seething anger in his eyes.

"It's getting a little stuffy in here," said Christian, standing up from his seat, "Would you like to step outside for a bit?"

Kara nodded and followed Christian onto the large balcony that overlooked the city. She stood next to him as the two watched the city lights, heard the sounds of the city, and felt the cold night breeze.

"It's beautiful isn't it," Kara mused, trying to break the ice, or at least the awkward silence.

After waiting a couple minutes with no response, Kara lightly gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "You could at least pretend like you're here."

Christian looked over at her, as if he had been snapped out of his own reality. "Oh yeah, sorry Kara. I was just thinking…"

"Please, enlighten me," she laughed, moving a little closer.

"You know, this suit was my father's first."

Kara arched her eyebrow curiously, "Really? It must have been really well kept."

"And I can see why, the suit is part of the costume," Christian told her, pouring his drink over the edge.

"How so?"

"The costume is this, what I am right now," Christian, explained, "the role I play here, it isn't me. Not anymore at least…"

Kara sighed, "A shame, your sister would have missed you."

Christian turned towards her and gave her a curious look. What did she mean by his sister would miss him; his sister hated the way he acted before!

"Your sister and I were good friends. She used to complain about the way you acted, but deep down we both knew that she loved you the way you were. Even if you could be annoying or sleazy, she still loved you for your happy and optimistic attitude."

Christian laughed, "You think I'm sleazy?"

"Christian, you swam in women like Scrooge Mc Duck swam in coins, of course you were sleazy."

Christian snorted, laughing even harder now. Kara smiled, she had gotten a genuine laugh from him. Even if it was just one, it was still a small victory. Maybe, eventually, the old Christian would return. The two turned back to the city, watching it's nocturnal life from above.

Suddenly, a loud crash interrupted their moment of peace. Christian and Kara both turned around and saw the Hart's Bank CEO fall onto the ground dead.

The two ran inside to see what had happened, when suddenly the doors to the inside of the room locked.

"Damnit!" growled Christian, "Someone must have hacked the electronic lock!"

Kara picked Christian up by the arm and flew off the balcony to the floor below quietly, as to avoid getting caught.

They watched almost helplessly as out of the crowd walked a masked man. Identity.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen," he greeted, giving the crowd a bow.

"Who are you?" yelled one of the young up and coming businessman.

"Who am I? I'm a man in a mask," Identity answered

The man looked around in disbelief, was this guy serious? "I can see that!"

"If I wanted you to know who I am, I wouldn't have worn the mask," Identity chuckled

"Well whoever you are, I'm taking you in!" yelled the brash young man, charging at the masked terrorist.

Identity merely pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the stomach before he could reach him.

"You cannot arrest that which is untouchable," Identity said, pulling the knife slowly from the man's stomach.

"There are fifty of us and only one of you," yelled another brave partygoer, "I'm pretty sure we'll manage!"

"There could be hundreds of you, but you still cannot touch me, for I am something beyond human. I am belief. I am a belief in a world where the more fortunate ones do not squash the men beneath them under their cold hard boot. While you all feast frivolously and in surplus, Gotham starves and cries for help. It dies because you crush the people under poverty while you live lucky lives in the lap of luxury."

Identity pulled out a tape, letting everyone know it was to commemorate the beginning of a new age.

"I am going to send this hotel up in a fiery call to arms. The people will know that the corrupt system of economics is no more, and they may rejoice," Identity announced loudly, pulling out a trigger. Just as he was about to press it, a batarang flew into his hand, impaling it and causing him to drop the detonator.

Identity grasped his hand in pain and turned towards the crowd to see Gotham's dark knight standing in front of him.

"Batman, I am disappointed you did not accept your one chance of escape, but never the less…" Identity waved to the crowd in a strange motion. Ten people pulled out masks from their coat and placed them on, then walked towards Batman, surrounding him.

"… The revolution must continue."

Identity pointed towards Batman, signaling all of his followers to charge. Batman readied himself as the first two men came within fighting range.

One pulled a knife and stabbed at him, but Batman sidestepped quickly and grabbed the man's arm, and then snapped it violently. Batman then ducked under a carpenter's hammer that had been swung at him and elbowed the man behind him. Grabbing him by the collar of the shirt, Batman pulled the man over him and kicked him into another one of identity's followers.

Another two followers ran at Batman at once, both wielding brass knuckles. Batman leaned out of the way as one threw a punch, and then punched him as hard as he could in the gut. He then turned to the other man and threw five batarangs at him, sending them all straight into his arm.

As Batman fought, he felt as if he was in a different mindset. The world slowed around him as he analyzed the muscle movements of his enemies, predicting their every move. Duck, punch, kick, black, left, right, grab, break, it all flowed through him naturally, his body becoming an unstoppable force. Hit pressure point in shoulder, disable arm. Slam head into forehead, instant knockout. Grab knife hand, break, and knock over. These combinations worked fluently, one after another.

One of the men had gotten up and picked up a gun, laughing maniacally. Just as he pulled the trigger, Superwoman crashed down through the ceiling and blocked the bullet. Glaring at the man, she grabbed the gun and broke it in two as if it were Styrofoam. Superwoman punched the masked follower into immediate unconsciousness and then turned towards Batman, who was taking out the last of the assailants.

The two turned to where Identity was, but soon found that he was gone.

"Superwoman, is there any sign of him?" Batman growled, searching the room.

"No, I can't track him down amongst regular people because he could've taken the mask off. He could be anyone and we wouldn't even know it."

Batman snarled in anger, two people had died and Identity had gotten away. This was not good. Batman started heading towards the window and pulled out his grapple gun. How could he have let Identity get away? How could he have been so distracted? He pointed it upward, shot it out, and then grappled off into the dark.

Superwoman flew after him, hoping that she could at least help assuage his frustration.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here's chapter five, hope you all enjoy. Please leave a review, it would be very helpful to here from my readers and receive suggestions for my story.**

Chapter Five: A Clue

"Hello Gotham, just recently the people were silenced once more,"

Christian watched the broadcast on the bat computer along with Eve and Kara.

"Yes, in an attempt to bring down the wealthy pigs that fester our society the true people of Gotham's liberation was thwarted by the self righteous vigilante known as the Batman."

"Where is he broadcasting from," Christian asked Eve, his eyes still fixed on the screen.

Eve activated the signal tracker and began scanning for the coordinates, but nothing came up.

"He's somehow blocking any attempt at tracking him," Eve reported as she kept trying to find where Identity was hiding himself.

Identity continued to speak out on the evening news, "While the battle may have been lost to our enemy good people, the war is not yet over. It lives on as long as the ideal, the meaning, of this fight stays alive. Tonight I will show the disease of Gotham that their continued attempts of keeping the revolution under control will not be tolerated. We will watch as I send a symbol of oppression up in flames on midnight three days from now."

"Why's he waiting," Kara asked as she watched with Christian.

"He's waiting for more followers," Christian answered, "those who feel like they have been wronged by society will join his cause, making his anarchist movement even more difficult to defeat."

"I am the liberator, we are the liberators my friends. We grow in numbers for we are a belief, one that cannot be stopped."

The feed cut off. This was the third address Identity had made this week, what was he planning.

"What could his target be?" Christian asked himself, racking his brain trying to think of possible targets. Identity hated the established order; so likely targets would not be at random, rather they'd have to do with wealth, politics, and class.

"He is probably threatening the governor's office. It seems like the next logical step for him," Kara suggested

"I'm sure everyone's first guess would be the governor's office, but Identity isn't stupid," Christian said, searching for all possible targets, "no, he would choose something that no one would ever think of, but would still shake society."

"Do you think he might try to attack the upper class again," Eve asked

Christian shook his head, "Again, Identity is a tactician. The only reason his last attempt failed was because Kara and I happened to be in the same room. If I had been off somewhere else, who knows what could have happened…"

Eve started to laugh, evoking a curious glance from Christian.

"Well aren't you glad I forced you to go to that party Mr. Wayne?"

Christian sighed and shook his head, "Luck isn't reliable, we're going to have to monitor everything, and especially with all the followers Identity is accumulating.

"You have to admit, the man is charismatic," Kara said, re-listening to Identity's speech in her head.

"Of course he is," growled Christian, "He's a man with a belief, and belief is a powerful thing."

"You'd know that better then anyone," Kara remarked with a small smile.

Christian just grunted and continued to search through the possible targets and calculate what the most likely one would be.

After a couple minutes of waiting patiently, the computer finally loaded up three possible matches; the courthouse, the brand new GCPD building, and… Wayne tower.

"Eve, I want you to alert the staff to double security at the tower," Christian told her as he typed up a message to warn the police of Identity's other possible activities.

"What reason should I give them," Eve asked as she created an email to send to the board.

Christian thought for a bit; he could probably get away with just saying he was worried about a threat from the new terrorist movement.

"Just tell them I'm taking some extra precautions, just in case anyone tries an attempt on my life."

Eve nodded and sent an email to the security board, telling them Christian's orders. While she sent the email, Christian typed in an anonymous letter to the GCPD saying, "Identity has possibly targeted your headquarters and the courtroom, heighten security but do not tell anyone."

"That should do it," Christian said, getting up from his chair and stretching out, "All we have to do now is stay vigilant and watch out for any suspicious activity."

He knew that catching this man would be difficult, but now that he was one step ahead, he felt confident. He might even be able to get some sleep.

"Hey Eve, what time is it?"

Eve checked her watch before heading back upstairs, "Five in the morning."

Never mind.

Christian yawned walked over behind his changing board. He pulled of the cowl shook and ran his hand through his hair in disgust. The sweat had matted his dark brown hair against his head; he really needed a shower. He pulled off his Kevlar suit and put on sweatpants and a tank top, cringing whenever he touched one of his many bruises. In all the nights he had spent for past week chasing leads and criminals, trying to find some sort of clue as to where Identity was. The whole week he had found nothing, nothing at all. No matter how many activists he beat and sent to the hospital, no one actually knew where the guy was.

When he finished changing, he stepped out from behind the board and looked over to Kara, who was in her normal cloths.

"How did you change that quickly?" Christian asked as he walked up to the main floor with her.

"Lots of practice," Kara answered

Christian opened up the door for her, letting the lady through first. Those manners Alfred had taught his dad had never really died out. The two walked into the kitchen, where Christian pulled out a container of orange juice poured it into a cup. Kara sat at the small table in the middle of the room and let out a big, unladylike yawn.

"So, are you going to be leaving or are you staying for breakfast?" Christian asked as he took a sip from his juice.

"If you don't mind I think I'll stay. Jimmy has a meeting with your publicity board today so I've really got nowhere else to go," Kara answered.

Christian nodded and pulled open the fridge and looked through to see if he had anything she might like. Everything was ordered perfectly, just how Eve liked it. Unfortunately for him, Eve was the one who usually prepared his meals, but she had requested the day off. Christian figured he would give it to her after all they had been through lately.

"You can't cook, can you," Kara laughed, walking over to him.

Christian blushed in embarrassment, causing Kara to laugh even more. After she had her fill of enjoyment at his expense, she reached over and grabbed two eggs from the fridge. She turned and grabbed a frying pan and placed it on the stove, then cracked the eggs over.

"Don't you need a fire or something," Christian suggested, giving a curious look.

"Who needs fire when you have heat vision?"

Kara shot thin red lasers from her eyes and heated up the pan, which caused the eggs to start cooking.

"I learned that trick from Clark," she said, grabbing the pan and flipping the eggs over, "It saves gas money, but I'm sure that's not much of a concern for you."

"It's not like you're living off table scraps," Christian commented sarcastically

Kara stuck her tongue out at him, "Hey I grew up on a farm, and I know what it's to not be rich!"

"Mhm, tell me, how much are those emerald earrings?"

Kara reached up and touched the two beautiful gems, "These was my first anniversary present from Jimmy. I've always wondered how he knew they were my favorite…"

"He knew because I told him."

Kara took out a spatula and picked up the eggs, putting them on two plates. As she handed one to Christian, she asked, "Really? How did you know that?"

"We used to date, remember?"

Kara laughed, "Oh yeah."

When Christian and Kara were both finishing up their time in Star City University, they had started dating a bit, but it had ended unceremoniously. That memorable date was in December, just before Christmas. They were walking through the park on a cold night.

-Flashback-

Kara huddled close to Christian as the two walked through the snow-covered path. They were both completely covered in thick coats and pants, the air was so cold that their breath was almost solid. The snow was falling down in large flakes, making the park a beautiful winter wonderland.

"Christian, how about next time we just go to a restaurant or something instead of walking out in the freezing cold," Kara joked, pushing herself against him.

Christian smiled as he put his arm around her, "If you think this is bad, you should see Gotham, it's this freezing half the year."

Kara giggled and kissed him on the cheek, "You Gothamites seem to be resilient to everything around you."

"Well you have to be, with the Batman gone crime has gotten to the point where it's best just to ignore the man getting mugged next to you."

"Christian, that's terrible!"

Christian laughed, "Well Gotham still has its upside. I love the city, just not what its become."

The two reached the bus stop and sat down on the cold bench. Of course, the metal seat was freezing, causing Kara to shiver even more. He didn't know at the time that she didn't even feel the cold, but was just acting that way to be close to him.

"Hey Kara, what are you planning to do after college?"

Kara thought for a bit, then answered, "I'll probably get a job at the Daily Planet like my uncle. That's what you're going to do right?"

Christian swallowed nervously. He had to tell her sometime, now was as good as ever. "Kara, I'm going to be moving back to Gotham."

"What do you mean," Kara said

"Kara I'm sorry, but my Dad has been stress related heart problems and needs me to take control of the company as soon as possible," he tried to explain to her.

Kara glared at him and asked, "When did you find this out?"

"… a month ago…"

Tears started to well up in her eyes as she stared at him in disbelief, "I don't believe you. All this time, you were planning to break up with me for a month?"

"No, no Kara it's not like that. I… I just can't leave my family like that. I know I told you that we'd live together after college, but it's just that things have come up!"

Kara glared at him and yelled, "Fine, goodbye Christian!"

Christian tried to stop her, but she just shoved him off and stormed off in the snow. As he watched his last serious relationship walk out on him, he tried to keep his composure together. He wasn't going to cry over just another woman. He was not.

-End of flashback-

"Those were crazy times," Kara said, taking a bite out of her eggs.

Christian wouldn't act as if Kara was the biggest what if in his life. What if he had stayed with her, maybe he would at least have some happiness.

"Hey Christian, do you think it could have ever worked between us?"

Christian turned towards her and saw she was being completely serious. Good, he needed to get this out of the way so he could move on.

"No, I don't."

Kara seemed a bit taken aback by this, but continued to pursue the question, "Why not?"

"Because I need Batman, and Batman can't have a relationship. I don't know what I would do if I lost someone else because of my mistakes. Plus, don't you have a boyfriend already?"

"I was just asking hypothetically," Kara quickly responded, as to protect her image.

Christian laughed resentfully, "of course you were."

The two finished their breakfast quietly, no one daring to break the awkward silence that lingered around them. Christian watched Kara try to mask her emotions and shook his head slightly. He knew he still cared for her, but caring was a weakness that his enemies would not share. Kara would only end up being a distraction, hell she already was. He needed some time alone.

Christian stood up from his chair and walked out, leaving his dirty dishes and Kara in the kitchen as he walked to his room to wait, wait until the night came.

0000000000000000000000000000 000000

Batman stood atop the old Gotham clock tower, watching over his city. Using a various phone taps and voice hacks that Eve had set up; he was able to listen in on most of the Identity movement's activities. The night air blew against him, causing his cape to billow in the wind, surrounding him in what looked like a veil of darkness.

There were so many involved now, so many misguided people joining this terrorist's cause. If he could find just one lead on Identity, he could crack down on him fast and hard. His nights of surveillance had proven frustratingly fruitless, though.

"You heard the words of our leader, just grab the stuff and leave."

Batman's eye's widened. People with possible direct connection to Identity, this could be a huge lead!

He spread his cape and took a deep breath, then jumped of the tower. After a couple seconds, the cape stiffened, allowing Batman to glide towards the noice.

"Eve, put the location of that conversation up on my cowl's monitor," he growled as he tipped to the left, swooping past an office complex.

Eve responded over the radio, "Alright, just give me a sec… and there. You should have the location."

Batman observed the small tracker displayed on the left hand of the screen. It seems that the followers were trying to get into one of the Wayne Tech storage facilities, specifically the weapons storage.

Changing his direction towards the storage, Batman tilted hard right, spiraling around a radio tower and over a strip mall. The buildings and traffic below him sped by as he flew over them. Though he would never admit it to anyone but himself, he loved that part of the job.

As he got closer to his location, he noticed a news van was following him below.

'Crap,' he thought 'I've got to get rid of them before they ruin my element of surprise.' With a GCN truck following him, Identity's followers were sure to see him coming from a mile away. Getting rid of this truck was going to require some fancy flying.

Batman shot out his grappling line and attached it to the corner of a nearby building. As he approached the corner quickly, he let his cape go flaccid, causing him to swing in a sharp turn around the building. Once he turned the corner, he used his momentum to jump back into a glide, expanding his cape once again.

He looked down and saw the GCN truck was still hot on his trail; they weren't giving up that easily. If he wanted to escape, he was going to have to disappear completely.

Batman spread his arms out and tilted upward, causing him to fall behind the truck and out of its light.

Once he had escaped its light, he dove sideways, skimming over the rooftop of a small apartment complex.

Batman could smell the awful stench in the air, the thick smoke choking up his breaths. He was definitely in the narrows now. The sounds of the voices started becoming louder and more defined as he got closer to the source, gliding low to the ground so he wouldn't miss it.

"You should be coming up on the group about now," Eve warned him

Batman scanned the area as he glided by and spotted four men in Identity masks. One was holding a large crowbar, trying to pry open the large doors of the building they were breaking into. Another was holding a large duffel bag, filled to the brim with dangerous plastic explosives, set to remotely detonate by the looks of it.

"This doesn't match," Batman reported back to Eve, "All of Identity's crimes have been against the upper class or political figures; nobody like that lives in the narrows…"

Batman looked towards the large, half unlit, neon sign over the building. "Gotham Fisheries," he read to himself, "This is the old fish factory, what the hell would…"

Then he suddenly remembered; the old fishery was part of the drug trafficking operation Antonio Falcone ran. They must be trying to put the gangster out of commission!

The door finally opened with a large cracking noise, as the lock on the door broke off.

"Lets go," the masked man with the explosives, whispered two his group. Three of them ran inside with him, leaving one to stand guard at the door. Now was his chance.

Batman glided down silently behind him and wrapped his arms around the man's neck. As he was being choked, the masked man tried to cry out, but couldn't get a sound out. Finally, he slipped into unconsciousness and was pulled to the side by Batman.

Quietly, he snuck inside and grappled up to the rafters, where he watched the three men.

"Watch me while I unpack these explosives," barked the one with the duffel bag, pulling out one of the bombs and placing them next to a support column. His two friends pulled out pistols and began searching the room for any possible intruders.

"Watch out especially for the Bat too," the man yelled again as he placed another explosive, "He won't interfere with our liberation any more!"

The two armed men nodded and continued their search through the room.

Batman singled out one of the men first and focused his attention on him. His hand was shaking as he held the flashlight, an obvious sign of fear.

Jumping to another rafter, Batman continued to follow him. When he was closer, he could here his teeth chattering and smell the sweat pouring off his body. Batman waited patiently until he was in a position where no one could see the take down, then he struck.

With speed and ferocity, Batman jumped down on the terrified man and slammed the bottom of his boot into his jaw, cracking the joint. The man held his mouth as he whimpered in agony, trying to back away from the looming dark knight. Batman picked him up by the collar and slammed the temple of his head against his armored forearm, knocking the masked man out.

"I heard it from over here!" yelled the other man nervously.

Batman quickly hid around the corner and activated his sonar vision, watching the other man walk closer towards the body. He could see and feel Identity's humble servant's heart racing, pumping rapidly with fear.

As the man got closer, his breaths became louder and more sporadic, his movements more dire and sharp. Finally, he reached the fallen body and called over to the leader of the operation.

"Man down! Man do…"

Before he could finish, Batman jumped out from around the corner and kicked the gun out of his hand. The man charged him with a knife, trying desperately to at least get one stab in on the menacing creature. Batman shifted to the side, blocking the knife with his armor-plated gauntlets, then retaliated with a quick jab to the shoulder. The punch connected with the nerve bundle perfectly, causing the man's strong arm to go limp.

"AHHH!" the man yelled as he swung a left hook with his only good arm. Batman held his forearms up and blocked the punch, then grabbed the man by the wrist and bicep. With a violent twist and a jerk, the Dark knight broke his arm, causing the masked servant to fall to the ground in agony.

As the Batman picked up the man to knock him out cold, he heard a voice call, "Hold it Batman!"

He turned around and saw the masked ringleader of the operation holding up the detonator to the bombs he had just spent time placing everywhere.

"Drop him and walk away or this whole place goes up in flames with you," he demanded, holding the detonator in plain sight.

Batman dropped the bloodied man and put his arms at his sides, causing his cape to fall around his front.

"That's right Batman, now just walk away!"

Batman pretended to step back, but unbeknownst to the triggerman, he was slowly reaching for a batarang behind his belt.

"Keep going," warned the triggerman, probably smiling smugly under his mask.

He pulled the batarang out of the back pouch and slowly pulled it out. One shot, that's all he had to stop this man. Batman took a deep breath and focused on his single target. Time seemed to slow around him as he pictured the perfect speed and trajectory he would to throw the batarang at to eliminate the threat. Then, in one swift movement, Batman pulled out the batarang and threw it towards the man. The projectile hurtled through the air with a whizzing noise and sliced the detonator in half before the triggerman had the chance to click it.

Before he had time to process what had happened, the bat tackled him with the force of a train. The man hit the ground with a crack, breaking three of his ribs on impact.

"GAHHH!" he screamed in agony as the Batman stood up and looked down at him, emblem glowing violent red.

Forcefully, Batman grabbed him by the ankle and began dragging him out of the compound. He had had enough of this, enough of this organization's games. He was going to get answers no matter what it took.

"What, what are you doing?"

Batman didn't answer, but continued to drag him out of the building and on to the streets. He then hauled the masked triggerman over his shoulder and shot a grappling line up to the nearest building and ascended up along with the screaming man.

0000000000000000000000000000 000000

"AHHHHHHH! DEAR GOD PLEASE PUT ME DOWN!"

Batman stood on the edge of one of the tallest office complexes in all of Gotham, dangling the beaten Identity follower from his ankle over the edge.

A thousands spotlights were focused in on them from below. Millions of police cars and news vans surrounded the building, reporting on the Dark Knight sighting.

"Don't tell me what I want to know and I just might!" growled the Batman, beginning shaking him a bit. The man continued to scream in fear as his coat and some pocket change fell to the sidewalk far below.

"WHERE IS IDENTITY!" Batman snarled, making sure the man knew just how serious he was.

"I-I don't know!" the man sputtered, trying to save his hide

Batman's eyes began to glow white with anger, the emblem on his chest burning brighter then ever before.

"TELL ME!"

"Please, PLEASE, I don't know!" he whimpered,

Down on the ground, police commissioner Carmen had just arrived on the scene. As she stepped out of the car, one of the policemen approached her to report the situation.

"Johnson," she barked, "just what the hell is going on here!"

"It's the Batman, he's dangling a man from his leg from this office building. It's causing a media riot," Johnson explained, almost as if he was out of breath, "The news has been swarming police so we haven't been able to formulate a proper response yet."

"God damn media whores," Jenna grumbled to herself, "SOMEBODY GET ME A LOUD SPEAKER!"

As she waited for her request to be fulfilled, one of the reporters approached her along with his camera group. Jenna groaned as they closed in with their armada of microphones and recorders, nothing would ever get done with them around.

"Commissioner Carmen, George Ryder here, what do you have to say about the current predicament," the reporter asked

Jenna glared at the camera and told them clearly, "I think that I'll have you all taken in for interfering with an arrest if you don't get those cameras out of my face."

Obviously unfazed by the commissioner's threat, George Ryder continued, "So are you saying that you're finally going to arrest the Batman?"

Finally, somebody brought her a megaphone, along with a group of ten policemen.

"Thank you officer, now could you get these reporters out of here?'

The group of policemen herded the upset news teams out of the area as Jenna put the megaphone near her mouth and started to yell into it, "Batman, release your hostage to us unharmed immediately!"

Batman looked down as the man began to laugh with relief.

"Haha Batman, the police are on you now! You're gonna have to put me down!"

Batman was getting fed up with this man's unwillingness to talk and the police pestering him. At least he attracted the news, just as he planned. He wanted Identity to see this, see his grip over this deluded man ripped away.

"Batman, put the man down!"

Batman took a deep breath, and then threw Identity's follower off.

The people from the bottom watched as the screaming man plummeted quickly towards the ground. Jenna was so shocked by what had just happened, she dropped her megaphone and just stared. Every news team was making sure to milk every second of this moment, keeping their lights trained on the falling man.

Right when he was about a few inches from the sidewalk, so close that he could see the gum stuck to it, his decent was halted. Everyone watched as the man was then pulled rapidly back up to the top of the building, still flailing and screaming.

When he reached the top, Batman ripped off his mask and grabbed his hair violently. The man had dark brown hair and multiple cuts across his face, probably just some lonely scum that had found Identity on the Internet. Batman pulled him in so the fanatic could get a good look at his terrifying, infuriated eyes.

"I'm going to ask you one more time," he growled, making sure he heard every word, "Where. Is. IDENTITY!"

The man couldn't take it anymore and started to spill over all the information he had, "I swear to God I don't know him personally. He contacts his followers with jobs through a messenger; h-here's the route she takes!"

The man handed over a sheet of paper, which Batman grabbed and placed in one of the pouches in his utility belt.

"Enjoy your stay in prison," Batman told him, dropping the man, who was whimpering and blubbering, on the roof. Spreading his cape out, he jumped off and glided away from the building, just as the police busted through.

Jenna walked out onto the roof and looked over to the sweaty pathetic lump that was once a hardened criminal. She walked over to the babbling man and looked him over. He had three broken ribs, a broken ankle, and severe psychological trauma; there was no way he would be helpful to the identity investigation. Damn it Batman! "Isn't it great? For a second I thought Batman was actually going to kill him," Johnson said happily, putting handcuffs around their new convict's hands.

"He still took things to far," Jenna told him angrily, "I've never heard or seen anything like this! The Batman left this man a broken shell of a man, it's going to take years to put him through enough therapy to testify in court!"

"But Commiss, I thought you liked how Batman did things," Johnson asked in confusion.

"I respected him for his beliefs, but this is getting out of hand. The way our justice system works, we'll actually need witnesses, not hospital patients!"

Jenna stomped in frustration, then let out a loud sigh. "Set up a crime scene and look for any clues that may lead us to Identity's location."

Once she finished giving the orders, she headed back down to her car so she could review the past case files on Batman. Something was different about him…

**A/N: The commissioner is starting to figure out the link b/w the first batman and the new one! Batman finally has a lead! Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here's the sixth chapter of my story, hope you all enjoy! I would also like to thank my reviewers, Isaac Clark aka Reven and BatFreak, you guys are a huge help!**

Chapter Six: The Courier

Christian pulled the batmobile to a screeching halt inside the batcave then jumped out. Finally, some sort of edge he could use against Identity, someone who had been in direct contact with the man. Holding the sheet of paper as if it was his own child, he sprinted over towards the bat computer, where Eve was waiting for him. She didn't seem too happy; probably because of tonight's events.

"Quite the show you put on there," she told him sarcastically, moving aside so he could sit down at the computer.

"I did what was necessary," Christian answered as he pulled off his cowl and began to look at the sheet.

It mapped out every stop and route the courier took, and when she took them. With this, he could blow the whole Identity organization wide open! Christian activated the computer and typed in all the coordinates, hands jittery with excitement.

"This is the overall route that Identity's courier takes," Christian explained to Eve, pointing towards the different patterns on the screen.

"Identity sure is paranoid about someone tracking him, look at all these different routes! The courier could be taking any of these at any time and we wouldn't even know."

Christian nodded, "Yes, that's why we'll have to keep constant surveillance. We know the courier is a woman, so at least we have some sort of way to narrow it down."

He began typing some codes into the computer, activating some of the street camera taps he had paced. If they kept twenty-four seven watch, they may be able to catch this woman.

"We'll take watches with this. If we each alternate watching and other necessities such as sleeping and eating, we should be able to stay vigilant enough."

Eve's eyes immediately shot wide open, "Mr. Wayne, you expect me to stay down here for half the day watching this screen!"

"I'm sorry Eve, but if we're going to catch this man we have to make some sacrifices," Christian told her, switching the recording function on. He knew Eve would stay; she cared about the cause almost as much as he did.

"What about your company Mr. Wayne? If you haven't forgotten you are the CEO of a fortune five hundred business!"

"I'll take my time off to work on running the company. Please Eve, this is the only way…"

Eve sighed and through her hands up in defeat, "Fine, you go upstairs and eat, I'll take first watch."

Christian smiled; thank God he had Eve. He headed behind the changing board and switched into his sweats and t-shirt, then headed upstairs.

Now with some cold juice and a bagel, Christian sat down on his couch and did something he hadn't done in a while, relaxed. Flipping on the TV, he turned to the GCN channel where he saw them covering his actions last night.

_This oughta be good…_ he thought as he began watching the report.

"For those of you who are just joining us, last night there what may be one of the most public Batman sightings in the history of Gotham," the reporter began, glancing occasionally at his notes.

Good, that meant Identity got his message.

The reporter continued to recite last night's events, showing a video they had taken of Batman holding the man over the edge and shaking him.

"Many are calling these turn of events a violation of the most basic human rights, as Batman pushed the suspect into a fear induced psychiatric breakdown. But what surprised people the most last night was when the Batman threw the man off the Sionis Office Complex and allowed him to fall forty-five stories before catching him. This controversial tactic for interrogation has brought much public scrutiny down onto the head of Gotham's Dark Knight."

Christian couldn't care less about what the public thought of him. He wasn't there to be a celebrity; he was there to fight against Gotham's plague of crime.

The video started to play, showing Batman at the top of the office complex, eyes and chest burning bright red. Christian smiled a bit to himself; it was a terrifying image indeed. He could see the cameraman's breath in the cold night air, as all of Gotham watched his actions helplessly.

"I won't go too far," Christian, told himself, anticipating the climax of the scene.

Batman backed out of sight from the cameras, as if he had given up the interrogation.

"I won't go too far,"

Suddenly, the man flew over the side of the building, and then plummeted towards the ground. The crowd started to scream, while the cameraman made sure he caught every second of it.

"I won't go too far,"

The man continued to fall, as if Batman had actually just thrown him to his death.

"I won't go to far,"

Christian started to sweat as he saw the man continue to descend at dangerous speeds towards the cold sidewalk. Everyone below was now screaming in terror, running away from him, their protector. Had he gone too far?

Finally, the man's decent stopped, and it showed Batman pulling him back up.

"That was the horror that many witnessed last night, all caught on video from an eye witness. The culprit was taken under custody, but will be unable to go to court do to severe mental trauma and suicidal attempts," the reporter announced, causing Christian to spit out his drink.

Suicidal attempts? Christian's conscious could take a couple scared criminals, but if someone died because of him, he would never be able to forgive himself.

"Christian?"

Christian turned around and saw Eve standing behind him. Christian gave here an annoyed glare, what was she doing away from the computer?

"Aren't you supposed to be watching for the courier? Your shift doesn't end for another three hours."

Eve gave him a soft smile and said, "Sorry Christian, it's just I thought you might want to talk about what happened with me."

Something about Eve was bothering Christian. He couldn't place his finger on it, but something was just off with her. She looked, sounded, and even stood like Eve, putting one hand on her hip and the other held at her side. What was it?

Then it hit him; it was what she said! Eve almost never called him by his first name, no matter how many times he insisted she did. It was always "Mr. Wayne" or "sir", but almost never Christian. Eve always told him it was to keep from getting too close to her employer, but by now she was pretty much his only friend. Whoever this woman was, she sure as hell wasn't his secretary.

"Who are you?" Christian asked, glaring angrily at the imposter.

She gave him a curious look, and then responded, "What do you mean?"

"I know you aren't Eve, so who are you?"

The woman sighed and took off her glasses, placing them in her pocket. Her skin suddenly turned green as the businesswoman suit melted into her. When the woman's eyes opened, they were not green like Eve's, rather a fiery red.

"Miss Martian," Christian growled, "To what do I owe this honor?"

This wasn't good, if Miss Martian was here, that means his activities had caught the attention of the whole Justice League. While Superwoman was a member, her presence here didn't mean anything because of her personal connections with him, but Miss Martian almost never left the watchtower unless absolutely necessary.

"We've been watching you Christian," she told him, "and we are… concerned to say the least."

Christian chuckled spitefully, "Worried that I'm insane? You're not alone."

"Christian you cannot break a man's mind as you did last night, it's completely inhumane. We cannot have a name that is so connected to the league perform extremely controversial acts," Miss Martian told him calmly

This set Christian off; he couldn't believe what she had just said!

"So this is about the league's oh so precious reputation? Well don't worry, I don't plan on associating myself with any of you," Christian spat.

Miss Martian seemed a little taken aback, but then regained her straight face, "Christian this isn't about reputation. This is you making too many people angry. The subject of Batman is still a controversy, years after the first one quit. All you'll do is reignite their anger."

"If you haven't noticed, I'm not to concerned with how people see me, as Batman and Christian."

Miss Martian sighed as if she somehow knew this plan wouldn't work. "Just please, watch you actions. The league won't be able to decline if people start asking for you to be brought in."

Christian waved her off and said, "Please show yourself out."

Miss Martian nodded and became transparent. She gave Christian a single nod, then fazed out through the roof.

This was a possible threat. Christian's mind began calculating weaknesses and possible tactics against the Justice League. If they were ever to come after him, he had to be ready. Christian decided against putting up to many defenses though, for fear that it may be seen as an act of aggression against the league. Identity was still his priority, not petty squabbles with other heroes. But still, some sort of precaution had to be taken.

-late at night, two hours until Identity's announced attack-

Christian spent the past day and a half searching through all of his father's defense protocol tools. There had to be something, anything, here that he could use against the league in case they tried to take him out. He knew his father, and if he was good at anything, it was being ready. There was no way that he would be unprepared for an attack from the league. Eventually, Christian came across a strange capsule in the bottom shelf. When he picked it up, it was surprisingly heavy for something of its size.

"Lead," Christian said to himself, he knew he had just found the ultimate defense against the league.

He unlocked the capsule and unscrewed the top. When he looked in, he saw a large glowing green rock inside. It was kryptonite, the weakness of the two biggest threats in the league: Conner Kent, aka Superman, and Kara Kent, aka Superwoman. He quickly placed the kryptonite back inside the capsule and put the top back on. Christian knew about the green rock's radioactive properties, and did not want to be exposed to it for too long.

"Mr. Wayne!"

Christian turned around and ran over to Eve, who was pointing frantically at the screen.

"There, that girl has frequented the abandon building you marked on the map as one of Identity's locations!"

Christian smiled as he watched the black haired woman walk out of the building, holding a small bag with a letter barely peaking out the top. She was about Eve's height and wore normal civilian cloths. It was so easy for her to blend into the crowd, she looked like a normal pedestrian!

"Set the computer to locate her face and keep track of her," Christian told her, running behind the changing board with his costume.

As quickly as he could, he put his armor on, strapped his guards on, and pulled the cowl over his head. He had to find this woman fast, and then stalk her until she led him straight to Identity.

"Keep me updated with her location over the radio," Christian called over to Eve as he jumped in the driver seat of the batmobile.

"Right now she's on… Fourth Street near boulevard, hurry!"

Christian closed the hood of the car and then started up the engine. The batmobile roared to life, the headlights flashing on so bright they were almost blinding. With a load FWOOSH, the car rocketed out of the batcave and out into Gotham.

0000000000000000000000000000 000

Batman hid quietly in the shadows watching Fourth Street like a hawk. He had modified his visor to recognize the woman's face and immediately alert him where she was in the crowd.

"Oracle, any other movement in the other sectors?" he whispered, putting his hand up to his ear.

"No," Eve responded, "Just be patient, she's there somewhere."

Batman grimaced, what could possibly be in that building that made it her most frequent stop? It couldn't be Identity, no he'd be too smart to be tracked that easily. Whatever it was, it was crucial to their operation. Hopefully it was some sort of murder weapon that could be used as evidence against whoever was behind that mask.

Suddenly, he saw a crosshair on his visor zoom in on a dark haired woman in the crowd, heading straight towards the warehouse. It had to be her; it was the courier. Batman swooped over her unnoticed and dropped into an ally. He peeked around the corner carefully and watched as the woman approached the door. Before she opened it, she looked around to make sure no one was following her. As she opened the door, Batman swore he saw her grab an Oni mask out of her bag.

Batman quickly slipped in behind her, taking refuge behind a large scrapped car. He made sure to keep track of her movements through the building, as it was a maze of broken machines and other junk. It wasn't too hard to spot her though; her mask was bright red after all.

As he continued to follow her, he had to be even more careful. The further they went into the building, the more armed guards protected whatever was there. Batman became even more curious once he noticed the jump in security, what was so important? It could have something to do with Identity's threats he made six days ago, promising to bring destruction and a new generation in a week.

He climbed up into the rafters and continued to jump across the top of the roof. As he watched the woman below, he noticed a couple things. One was that she had a "J" burned into her left hand. Another was that she had what looked like a toy radio strapped to her hip, on that none of the other guards had. She also had a strange bounce in her step that he had never seen before.

She reached another locked door and swiped a key card through it, then walked through. Two guards stood in front of the door, both wearing Identity masks and nametags. One said, "Madness," and the other said, "Rage". These must be some of his most elite, seeing as they were guarding something seemingly so important.

Once the door shut with a click, Batman swooped into action. He descended onto Madness, kicking him to the ground. Rage quickly pulled out a large combat knife and swung it at Batman, who barely jumped away in time. As he regained his footing, he saw Madness stand up and shake off the kick as if it were nothing.

"RARRRR," Rage growled as he charged towards Batman. Before he could dive out of the way, he was grabbed with inhuman strength and slammed against the wall, causing the brick to crack on impact.

"Oracle," Batman grunted in pain as he tried to free himself from Rage's grip, "Oracle something wrong with these guards.

Batman looked closely at Rage's face and saw his face looked as if it was peeling away. The guard looked like a monster, a sick monster.

With all his might, Batman kicked Rage's chest, pushing the strange guard away. Madness quickly tried to charge Batman, but this time he was ready. Batman quickly shot his batclaw into one of the bricks, fastening it as tight as he could as quickly as possible. He then rolled out of the way, and then dived behind Madness, causing the line of the batclaw to clothesline the mutated man.

Rage roared again and tried to charge Batman, who was still preoccupied with Madness. Batman saw Rage running towards him, though; and did a backflip over the guard, causing him to trip over his comrade. Batman then pulled out an explosive batarang and through it at the steel rafters above them, causing the beams to collapse on top of them, entrapping the two men.

Just as Batman turned to the door, he heard the roar of the two enraged guards. Suddenly, the steel and debris that had covered them was thrown off, and before him stood two towering fully grown monsters. Their spine seemed to be protruding from their backs now, along with a couple bony nubs that now burst from their heads. Their nails had grown long and almost claw like, and their eyes were glowing a bright green.

"What the hell are these things…" Batman muttered to himself, preparing for one hell of a fight.

Rage charged at him, snarling and swinging his fists back and forth. Batman barely had time to dive away before the giant slammed into him. Madness followed the charge with a couple destructive haymakers, knocking away some of the scrap machinery and other junk. Batman ducked and jumped over Madness' punches, then threw the hardest gut punch he could at the beast. Madness doubled over, allowing Batman a powerful uppercut, causing him to stagger back. While Batman had done some damage, he felt as if he had just punched a thick iron wall. His hand felt as if it where broken, he could feel the warm blood inside his glove already.

Rage attempted another charge, to which Batman quickly dived under his legs to avoid. Almost clumsily, Rage slammed into one of the walls, temporarily disorienting the beast. Batman quickly noticed this; the beasts didn't seem to have much control of themselves. Maybe he could use this to his advantage.

Batman dived out of the way as Madness ran at him swinging, then threw a batarang at the disoriented Rage. Once the small metal object hit the monster on the back of the head, it quickly spun around and roared in anger. He then quickly shot the batclaw at Madness, and with all his might, pulled him on the ground in front of Rage. The charging monster did not notice the large obstruction until it was too late. Rage tripped over Madness and went headfirst into the wall, crashing halfway through it. Batman panted heavily as he held his hand in pain, Eve was going to have a fit about this one.

He turned back to the door and analyzed the key card slot. Pulling open the circuit board, he used some of his tools from his belt to reconfigure the lock. After a couple minutes of rewiring and melding, the lock finally opened, allowing Batman access to the room. Batman took a deep breath, and put the pain he was experiencing out of his mind. He couldn't think about broken bones if he was to continue after the courier.

Carefully, Batman opened up the door and snuck inside. He activated his heat signature scan, looking around the room for any sign of the courier. Unfortunately, it seemed as if the young woman had already left, leaving the trail cold.

"Damnit," Batman snarled, "she's gone!"

"Don't loose hope Mr. Wayne," Eve told him over the comm. link, "look around that room and see if you can find anything for analysis."

Batman nodded and activated his detective scanner, searching for any possible evidence he could. As he looked through the blue filter, he saw a strange container near the middle of the room. Cautiously, he approached it, making sure there weren't any traps lying around. Once he got close enough, he deactivated the detective vision and read the label on the container.

"Titan formula," he read out loud, "What the hell is Titan, and what use is it to Identity?"

Batmen climbed up the large cylinder and popped open the top, then looked inside. A strange green liquid bubbled within the container, smelling of chemicals and death. Batman held his breath as he pulled out a beaker from his belt and took a sample of the serum, then placed it back in his belt, deciding to analyze it once he got back to the lab.

"Hey B-man,"

Batman spun around, trying to find where the voice had come from.

"Over here!"

Batman turned again and saw the courier standing in front of him, mask and everything. Was this woman really stupid enough to try to take him on herself? Either way, Batman needed Identity's location, and he was sure it was somewhere on her.

Batman walked straight up to her and stood towering over her menacingly. In the most intimidating voice he could muster, he growled, "Where's Identity?"

The woman laughed, as if she actually thought the question was a joke. Batman grabbed her by the collar and pulled her towards him roughly. Gritting his teeth, he asked her again, "Tell me where Identity is…"

"Yeesh, is that any way to treat a lady?" she responded, pushing Batman off with surprising force, "Ya know you'll never find him right? I'm not squealing, that's make the boss man pretty upset."

Her light attitude made Batman even more frustrated, causing him to lash out and punch her square in the face. The mask immediately broke, revealing her surprisingly pretty face. She stood up shakily, bleeding at the mouth, eyes wide as if she hadn't expected him to actually hit her. Batman grabbed her and snarled, "I can be very convincing…"

"I can see that," coughed the courier coughed, "and I see you aren't a big fan of the mask either."

"Give me one reason why I should be."

She laughed and then said, "Truth be told I don't really like it either, gives me the creeps, but you gotta do what you gotta do I suppose."

This caught Batman off guard. Usually Identity's followers were hopefully devoted to him, why did one off his highest-ranking followers not like his decisions? Something was wrong with the courier, she was somehow… different then the rest.

"Look, I have no desire to be beaten to a bloody pulp by a man in bat pajamas, so if I tell you where Identity is will you let me go?"

Batman gave her a skeptical look, "How do I know you won't just go running to him after this?"

The courier laughed, "Hah, still don't trust me do ya? Well that's fine, but I don't think you really have a choice, do you B-man?"

B-man, what was it about that name that unnerved him so much? What was that nagging feeling in the back of his head that something just didn't fit? Batman refocused his attention on the courier.

"Fine, tell me where he is."

The courier pulled out a map of Gotham and pointed to a circled location on it, as if she had planned this betrayal all along, "See right here, the old Gotham Radio Tower? This is where he's been making all his broadcasts."

The old radio tower, of course! It had the equipment and signal strength necessary to reach out over all of Gotham. Since it was a radio tower, all the other radio stations constantly broadcasting all over Gotham hid the signal. It was hiding amongst the common, just Identity's style.

"You better hurry B-man, Identity's 'symphony of destruction' begins in," she checked her watch and then told him, "fifteen minutes."

Fifteen minutes? Batman checked the clock on his visor and realized she was right; it was almost midnight.

"If you really want to help, call of your guards so I can get to him more quickly," Batman yelled as he began to run out of the building. The courier nodded and pulled out her radio.

Batman didn't have time to hear what she said; he had to get to Identity and fast. As he tore through the building, none of the guards attacked him, just as the courier promised. Batman sprinted towards the exit and kicked down the doors. The batmobile's cloaking device deactivated when he turned on the engine with the mini computer integrated in his gauntlet. He jumped in and sped off as fast as he could toward the radio station.

Ten minutes left, that's all he had. He weaved in-between traffic, being careful not to wreck too many cars. Police sirens began to wail as he started to go above and beyond the speed limit, hitting one hundred miles per hour.

"Pull over!" one of the policemen called out, firing a warning shot. Batman didn't have time for this though. No one could stop him from reaching Identity, not even the police. He flipped a small red switch below the ignition and released tiny explosives from the back of the car. The small grenades exploded, causing three police cars to flip and crash. Batman upped the throttle, he only had six more minutes and the station was on the other side of the city!

"Mr. Wayne, what's going on? Why are you being chased by the police on the evening news?" Eve asked over his radio link.

"Identity is holed up in the old Gotham Radio Tower, which is across the city," I need you to send anonymous messages and try to evacuate all possible target locations!" Batman yelled, swerving around one of the corners. Three minutes was all he had now.

Batman stopped the car with a screech in front of the Radio Tower, two minutes. He broke down the door with all his might, ignoring his broken hand. When he ran in, he noticed that the place was surprisingly unguarded. It wasn't surprising; Identity probably did everything he could to keep this place from being suspected. Batman directed his way through the corridors, and looked for the 'on air' room, déjà vu.

Finally, he came across a large door with a light over it that said, "do not enter, recording in process."

Batman backed up, then kicked down the door and looked around. In front of him was Identity himself, with a detonator in front of him.

"Batman?" Identity said, as if he was surprised the dark knight had found him. Batman shot the batclaw out at Identity and pulled him towards him before the detonator was clicked. Identity quickly pulled out a knife and swung it at Batman when he was pulled into range, catching the caped crusader on the side of the head. Batman grunted and wiped away the blood, readying himself in fighting stance.

"So, the great Batman can bleed," Identity taunted.

Batman lunged forward and grabbed Identity by the head, violently slamming it against the glass divider. Identity wobbled up, bleeding from the cuts the glass had given him, trying to regain his balance.

"It appears you can as well," Batman snarled, letting loose a devastating cross, knocking Identity backwards into the volume controls. It was over for Identity already, this was payback for all the people he hurt.

Identity slashed forward with the knife, but Batman caught his arm and bent it backwards with a crack, causing him to drop the knife. He then swung Identity across the room and into the wall as hard as he could. When the terrorist hit the wall, the impact gave him a concussion, knocking the man out instantly.

Batman stood over him, breathing heavily and holding his face and arm in pain. It was over it was finally over. He walked over to the man crumpled near the wall and bent over to investigate. The police could definitely find enough to convict this man and put him away for life, but there were still two things unresolved. Who was he and how was he able to kill most of his victims so easily with not trace and without even being present? Batman peeled back the Oni mask and took a good look at the man behind it. He had blond hair and blue eyes. There were no facial scars, in fact the man looked about perfect. As if there was nothing wrong, apart from the bruises and cuts from his fight. Batman pulled the man's wallet from his pocket and found that the man was a mere janitor at Ace Chemicals; couldn't even graduate high school. Something was wrong with this, he hadn't given any speech, in fact he had barely talked during their fight.

"You aren't him," Batman growled, throwing the wallet back at the unconscious man.

Suddenly, the speakers around him started to crackle and a small tv that had been placed in the room activated. Batman glared at the screen as Identity's face appeared on it.

"Or is Identity really all of us? Is Identity only one person, or rather every oppressed man crying for justice?" Identity told him.

Batman glared at the tv silently, he had been tricked. He should have never listened to the courier, Identity wanted to distract him.

"Nothing to say? That is quite all right, only I will speak then. The symphony of justice and retribution begins in one minute, so I won't take long."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks for all those reviewing, it means a lot! I hope you all enjoy the next part of my story!**

Chapter Seven: The Story

Batman glared at the screen, fists clenched with rage as Identity began speaking.

"Our story begins," he said, "with a young, inspired Politian who believes that he can change Gotham, much like you. He is charismatic, good looking, and has the people's support in all his endeavors. He has a good heart, and is willing to do whatever he can to see that change comes to Gotham, and that the corrupt politics are changed for the better."

Identity sighed, as if it was a story that touched his heart, then continues, "Unfortunately on his crusade for justice, he upsets many corrupt people. These people try to get to him through slander and lies, but the young man stays above it all. He knows that all people who TRULY believe in the cause will continue to listen and hope for a better world. Because he has many followers, he still manages to stay above it all. This is when the bad people get very desperate, when they get a taste of something they don't experience very often, defeat. They realize that fear will not be ruling this young man, for he has a vision."

Batman saw Identity's muscles tense up noticeably during another pause in his story. Where was he going with this?

"So one day, they hire a very evil man to take what is most dear to the politician, his lovely family. After this horrible tragedy, the young politician is broken, the evil men have bought off the right people, allowing his wife and child's murderer to walk free. This is when he sees how deep the roots of corruption spread, how vile the rich and the powerful truly are. He realizes the only way to stop the spread is to eliminate it violently and completely."

Suddenly, three new images appeared on the screen, the GCPD station, the Gotham City Community Center, where one of the largest charity balls the year was being held, and the courthouse, where many politicians and lawyers were discussing the Batman interrogation case. Identity was below them, standing tall. He pulled out his conductor's wand and tapped it on the table in front of him, then cleared his throat.

"Batman, you and I have not so different goals," He told Batman as he placed a music stand in front of him, "but you are still blind to the true corruption that eats away at this city. I am going to do you a favor because I respect your stalwartness, I will show you what happens when the corrupt and evil are punished."

Suddenly, music began playing in the speakers, a soft chime, a quiet percussion, soothing violins. Batman watched in horror as the people inside in around the buildings looked side to side in confusion trying to find where the music was coming from. Then, the unspeakable happened. The volume of the music began to grow as people started dropping dead randomly. There were no shooters, nothing but people randomly falling over and dying.

"Is it not beautiful," Identity asked Batman in a crazed voice, "retribution as swift and violent as a hurricane!"

The speed of the music continued to pick up as Identity waved his wand faster and people clutched their chest and died more quickly. All Batman could do is watch in frustration and rage as Identity killed off hundreds.

"And here comes the crescendo!" Identity laughed raising his wand up as high as he could. Time seemed to slow as he brought it down, Batman watching, anticipating whatever horrible thing Identity was about to do. Then, when Identity's wand reached the bottom, the three buildings erupted in a spectacular explosion of fire and smoke.

"Liberation!" Identity yelled, waving violently up and down as the buildings began to collapse on themselves, killing almost everyone inside.

Batman fell to his knees as he watched the death of about one hundred innocents unfold before him. He had failed them all. He had promised to protect those lives and he had failed them. He had let them die.

"Identity!" roared Batman, "I'm going to take you down, whatever it takes!"

Identity just shook his head and said, "Batman don't you see? I've just destroyed a quarter of the corruption. Because of that little message you sent to the police, many of them escaped. Even so, this is a great victory for the people; in the blast were some very evil men. Remember this Batman, this is going to continue because you sent out that message and warned the corrupt. I will end them if it takes destroying every structure in Gotham to do so. You cannot stop the cleansing."

Then, the feed to the television cut off, leaving Batman alone in the radio tower. Batman just knelt there in disbelief. How could this have happened?

"Mr. Wayne…"

Batman heard Eve over the comm. link and responded, "I failed them…"

"No, no you did everything you could! Because of your hunches, about four hundred lives where saved!"

"But around one hundred died!" Batman yelled, punching the wall with his broken hand in frustration. He was so angry he couldn't even feel the pain.

"Mr. Wayne there will always be casualty when there is war. You have to be able to keep fighting, for Gotham. You must stay strong during times like these."

Batman stood up and walked over to the tv and took a deep breath. Eve was right; he had to keep fighting. He was going to stop Identity, no matter what. With a powerful kick, Batman knocked the tv to the ground, then turned away. There had to be something in the broadcast that would give him a hint as to where Identity was.

He jumped in the batmobile and drove off back to the batcave on some of the less used roads; he didn't want to attract attention, which was the last thing he needed.

As he pulled off of the freeway into the forest path, he thought of what Eve had said. There would be some casualties during war, but this wasn't war. This was a criminal who had gotten his hands on some invisible murder weapon. Christian then remembered the Titan chemical he had picked up earlier. Maybe he could find all the answers in that serum.

Christian parked the batmobile in the batcave and jumped out. He went straight past Eve, who was standing near the batmobile with a concerned look, and when right to the bat computer.

"Computer, analyze 'Titan'," he told it, placing the small test tube inside one of the slots of the computer.

"What is that," Eve asked, walking up behind him.

"It's a chemical I came across while looking for Identity," Christian told her, "I think it may be Identity's mysterious murder weapon."

Finally the computer came up with an analysis along with past archived data of the titan formula. Christian hadn't known that his father had come across this stuff before, but then again, he didn't know much about his dad at all. He clicked on the old files and what he found stunned him. It was the true story behind the rumor of Batman's only murder victim, the Joker.

"This formula, it killed the Joker?" he said, stunned by this revelation.

Eve almost dropped her clipboard, and ran over to where Christian was. "What do you mean it killed the Joker?"

Christian pointed to the file and told her, "Look, apparently this is how Joker became that… monster during the huge Arkham Asylum incident years ago. This must be what happened to those two guards, Rage and Madness."

"I don't see how it killed him though," Eve said skeptically

"The serum, once it wears of it becomes dangerously poisonous, causing the victim's bodily functions to slowly deteriorate. But get this, there is no trace of poison, rather it seems as if the victim has died of disease."

"Wait, this means,"

Christian nodded, "I think we've found the mysterious murder weapon."

Christian told the computer to continue looking for possible modifications that could cause such quick and silent death. It has to be such a small dose that the people won't transform into those beasts. But it also had to be large enough to take effect. First though, he needed medical attention.

"Eve, do you know how to mend a broken hand?"

Eve turned towards him, confused, but then saw his purple, swollen hand.

"Good lord Mr. Wayne, what did you do?"

Christian laughed, "You should see what the other guy looks like."

Eve groaned at the cheesy joke and began working on Christian's hand. Christian winced as she went through and forced the bones back into place and wrapped his hand tightly in a cast.

"You need to lighten up on this hand," she told him, "stop trying to punch through brick walls."

Christian nodded and responded, "The monsters, they're tough. It's as if they can't feel anything."

"Just be more careful."

As she wrapped his hand, Christian watched his recording of the Identity broadcast. He knew there had to be something he could use, but what. Then he noticed something at the bottom corner of the screen. It was small, barely visible in fact, but when he spotted it, a grin broke out. He had just found Identity's location.

0000000000000000000000000000 0000000000

Kara sat at her hotel desk, working on the article she was writing for the Daily Planet on the recent Identity attacks. The only light that she was typing by was the small lamp provided by the hotel and the backlight of the computer. Jimmy walked up behind her and kissed her on the cheek, startling her a bit.

"Kara, why don't you go to sleep? It's getting late."

Kara laughed, "You're the one who needs this story in. How will the planet look if we're the only ones not covering these attacks?"

Jimmy nodded and told her, "Well then keep working hard. I'll be in bed if you need me."

Kara nodded and gave him a kiss goodnight. When he left, she went back to writing the story. What was she supposed to say about the turn of events? While the projected casualties were lower then Identity had originally planned, they were still insanely high. All of them were public servants, policemen, or rich folks. She and Jimmy were lucky that they had gotten that call from Eve about the bad flu going around, which of course was a cover up.

Then there was Christian. She knew wherever he was; he was blaming himself for these deaths, even though they weren't his fault. He was probably beating himself up over it, or some poor criminal that dared cross his path. Christian had been so frustrated recently and now with the league giving him dangerous warnings, it was a recipe for disaster.

As she continued to think about what to write, her phone went off. When she looked at the caller ID it said Conner Waller, the JL's code caller name.

"Hello?" she answered, putting the phone between her ear and her shoulder so she could continue typing.

"Kara, this is Conner. We need to meet."

Kara turned and checked if Jimmy was asleep. Just her luck, he was out like a light.

"What is it Conner, I really need to finish this story," she told him as she began the lead.

"Kara this isn't up for debate. We're already in Gotham, so meet us on top of the Sionis Skyscraper."

Kara sighed in defeat, "Fine, I'll be there in a bit."

She quickly grabbed her Superwoman costume and put it on, then flew out the window into the cold night air. When she reached the top of the skyline, she used her super vision to scan the city for her teammates. She found them, just as Conner had said, on top of the Sionis building. Kara knew exactly what this meeting was going to be about, and she didn't want any part of it. Even if she did show up, no one would actually hear her out because she was too 'emotionally close' to the situation.

She landed on the roof and saw all the new leaders of the League, Superman, Miss Martian, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Green Lantern.

"Good, we're all here," Conner said, "and I assume you all know why."

"This is about Batman isn't it?" Wally (the Flash) asked

Conner nodded, "While his dad quit a long time ago and Batman is technically not associated with the league, his actions are still bringing us a lot of trouble."

"I don't see what he's done, I mean the other Batman pissed off just as many moms as this new guy is," Cassie said, trying to calm her boyfriend down.

"Cassie, he acts like a criminal!"

Miss Martian intervened, trying to moderate the conversation, "Please, we should not fight. Why don't we ask Kara what she thinks? She knows Christian better then any of us."

All of them turned towards Kara who shot M'gann a glare for putting her on the spot. "I think before we talk about our course of action we should talk about our reasoning. I mean are we really going to bring in the Batman just because he makes us look worse?"

"Kara we can't make a decision based on your lingering feelings for him!"

Within three seconds of those words leaving his mouth, Kara punched Conner square in the jaw, knocking him down.

"Why the hell did you ask me to come out here then!"

Connor got up, and glared at Kara. "We were hoping you would be mature enough to try and convince him again."

"I told you he won't listen, he's as stubborn as you are!" Kara yelled

The other league members seemed to be backing up slowly; no one wanted to be punched next.

"Look Kara, if it makes you any more confident I'll come with you," Flash told her, trying to calm her down.

"No, no I'll go by myself. Just, don't expect any results," Kara sighed, floating back down to the roof.

"Well just to make sure, I'm going to come with you," Conner said, "This needs to get through to him, I won't talk to him through his secretary anymore."

Miss Martian shook her head in protest, "Conner, if you go I believe that Batman will be even more difficult to deal with."

"No, he needs to know that the way he acts won't be tolerated. He needs to know that there are boundaries that he can't cross."

"Well he hasn't killed anyone, right?" Flash asked, a bit confused as to what boundary Batman had crossed.

"The problem is that he is dangerously unstable. You saw how close he got to killing that man, what happens when he is really put to the test. With the way he conducts things, he is dangerously close to crossing the line."

Kara scoffed, "So we're going to take him out for something you think he's going to do?"

"Look, you saw how angry the government is getting at us because of him as well. I would rather not have a conflict between us and the nation," Conner explained, trying to get Kara to see reason.

"Fine, but first you have to let me talk to him. Give me one last chance to convince him to stop before you go to war," Kara asked, looking at Conner seriously.

Conner sighed and waved her off, "Go ahead, but after that I will come and intervene.

Kara nodded and flew off towards Wayne Manor. She tried to stay over the cloud line so that no one would spot her and somehow connect her with Christian.

"How the hell am I supposed to stop this," she asked herself.

She knew if there was a clash between Christian and the League, the damage would be catastrophic. Christian, of course, would be too stubborn to see reason and walk straight into Conner's challenge. Conner, who also would be too stubborn, wouldn't be able to see the possible consequences that could come from this fight.

Kara floated down on the balcony of the main bedroom, where she saw Christian on his laptop watching Identity's video over and over again with a huge smile.

He didn't seem to notice her, so she knocked on the glass door to get his attention. Christian looked up and saw her standing outside, so he got up and slid the door open.

"You know we have a front door right?" he asked, showing Kara to a seat.

Kara sat down in one of the armchairs in his room and turned towards him. "Christian, we need to talk."

"What about?" he asked, pulling up another chair to sit across from her.

"You need to heed the League's warning. You need to stop this."

Christian laughed, "Oh really? Or else what, you'll send more people down here to have these lectures with me?"

"Christian you act like a criminal! The police are even going to issue a warrant for your arrest because of your actions!"

This made Christian laugh even harder, to Kara's despair, "I am a criminal, what I do is against the law. But unfortunately, the law cannot stop men like this."

"Christian, that doesn't mean you can ride around breaking all you want and scarring anyone you want just to reach a goal. If you keep going down this path I'm afraid…" Kara swallowed nervously, "I'm afraid we're going to lose you."

"As far as your concerned," Christian scoffed bitterly, "I'm already gone."

"Christian please; what will happen if the League decides to take action? What will you do then?"

"Then," Christian answered, "Then we'll see how a mere mortal holds his own against gods."

Kara gasped when she heard what he had said. Gods? That's what he thought of them as? Not friends, not loved ones, but just gods casting harsh judgment on him? Kara's eyes started to well up with tears, how could he say that after all they had been through! Clenching her fists, she yelled, "Christian you're still a child! You see us as imposing figures trying to control you when all we want is to help!"

Christian glared at her, "If you wanted to help the world you would through any care about your image in the wind! This war is not about how you look, but how you fight!"

"That's all you know isn't it? The fight is all that's left in you?"

Christian stood up and got up in her face, glaring at her with fury, "After I let my own baby sister die along with my father, yes. That's all I have left."

Kara suddenly grabbed his head and pulled his lips into hers violently. The two held each other tight, as if they were letting all these emotions out in that single kiss. As they pulled apart, Kara whispered in his ear, "Christian, please come back to us."

Christian stood back completely disarmed. She had just shown compassion when all he had shown her was rage. She had done what he felt he could never do. She was stronger then him.

"Kara…" he started to say, but she put her finger over his lips.

"Christian, if you continue fighting everyone, we won't be able to be together."

Christian sighed as Kara walked towards the balcony door and was about to fly out. Before she left, she heard his voice call to her.

"Kara, please," he said, "Please wait for me."

Kara nodded in understanding, then turned and flew off into the cold night sky. Christian stood and watched as his one true chance of happiness flew away.

As he continued to look up to the sky, wondering if he had made the right choice, Eve cracked open the door and asked, "Are you alright sir? I heard a commotion."

"I'm fine Eve, thank you. I'm just readying myself, tomorrow it ends."

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Identity sat, sweating in a small dim room. He had screwed up, a careless error caused by hubris.

"I'm sure you already know that he's on his way."

Identity nodded, "We can move! The revolution can still succeed!"

"That won't be necessary," said the figure across from him, "You have outlived your usefulness."

"What do you mean? There is still so much to do!"

The figure cackled and responded, "so much to do? Sunny we already got all the Titan formula into Gotham while you and your merry band of masked men were raising hell!"

"So, you never believed?" Identity asked in disbelief. He had been had, tricked, duped by a lunatic.

"No, but while you were raving on televisions and blowing up buildings, which I will admit you were quite talented at, I was slipping in the Titan drug with no resistance. With the Batman and all of the police focused on you, no one noticed the small bug slipping things into this fair city. It's time to stop stealing the spotlight from the real star of the show. I'm going to show the world just how insignificant you really are in the grand scheme of things. You will not die in a battle of dire straights, but in an embarrassing defeat by the hands of one of your own."

Identity shot up, enraged, and yelled, "You cannot stop this now! I have come too far to be killed by a madman!"

"Oh, that hurts? But you know what hurts even more?"

Suddenly, Identity felt the hook of a crowbar crashing through his skull violently, breaking his neck with a blood-curdling crack.

"That," the figure laughed

With his last breath, Identity turned to see his courier standing over him holding a bloodied metal crowbar with a smile on her face.

"Kiddo you had pizzaz, but you were to cocky. You just had to gloat, and now Bats is already on his way!"

Identity shuddered, then fell silent, killed by the hands of his own messanger.

"Kinda ironic, don't ya think?" she laughed, giving Identity's body a good hard kick, "too bad he didn't last as long as we originally planned."

The figure patted the courier on the head and said, "But dear, this is what I planned! Batman is already in hot water with the police and those spandex wearing idiots they call the Justice League, what do you think it'll be like when they see him near the corpse one of his greatest enemies!"

The courier cocked her head in confusion, "How do you plan on doing that?"

"Like any normal citizen," he responded, pulling out the phone and dialing three numbers. Placing the phone next to his ear, he called, "Hello? Police? I'd like to report a murder…"

**A/N: OOOOHHH, didn't see that coming did you? Identity is merely a pawn in the plans that I have for this story!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I hope you all enjoy my new chapter!**

** Isaac Clark: I hope you enjoy this chapter, I think it's a good one!**

** ThecreepyBiscut1: I'm glad you're enjoying the story! And as for your suggestion, I'll keep it in mind.**

** Jenicide24: Well I'm glad I could deliver!**

Chapter Eight: A New Beginning

Batman kicked down the doors of the Ace Chemical plant violently. It was time to end this; Identity would pay fro his crimes. There would be no hiding in the shadows, no silent takedowns, only his fists beating in that disgusting mask of his.

"IDENTITY!" Batman yelled, "WHERE ARE YOU!"

Batman pulled out his grapnel hook and shot it upwards towards the catwalk. Once the hook had a firm grip on the railing, he ascended up onto the walkway overlooking the different chemical vats.

Why was Identity hiding here? What did the chemical plant have to do with his ideals of anarchy and revolution? Batman looked around, scanning for any signs of life in the room. There was nothing, had Identity gotten away? No, it wasn't possible, with all the tech Identity used to broadcast; he had to still be here somewhere. He wouldn't have had enough time to leave.

"Oracle, I can't locate him," he reported over the comm. link.

"But you're in the right place, that was definitely the Ace on Ace chemicals in the backdrop."

Batman continued to search, where the hell could the terrorist be? As he searched, he noticed an especially dark corner of the room. Batman pulled out a flashlight and turned it on, then shined it towards the shadows. When the dark corner was lit up, Batman dropped his flashlight in horror.

"Eve… are you seeing this?"

Eve made a noise over the radio as if she had just thrown up, and rightfully so.

In front of him, hanging from a noose, was the corpse of Identity. The head was bloodied and bashed in, the limbs all cut off. The dead bodies of some of his followers were positioned in a worshipping crouch in front of their equally dead leader. Batman just stared at the horrifying spectacle, unable to form words to describe how gruesome the scene was. He noticed something stuffed in Identity's mouth. When he got a closer look, it seemed like it was a small slip of paper. Batman pulled it out and unwrinkled it, taking a look at the message. On the sheet of paper, written in blood, was "The real show begins at twelve o clock tomorrow."

"Do you think it's really him? What if he wants you to think he's dead?" Eve asked

Batman shook his head, "Not, it's him. Identity was not one for sadistic enjoyment like this. This, this is different then anything I've seen."

Suddenly, Batman heard sirens wailing outside. The police, of course they had to come now. If they saw him next to Identity's dead body, he would become a prime suspect, further angering those who already disliked him. He was going to be hunted for this.

"Batman, we know you're in there!" yelled Jenna Carmen from the outside, "Come out with your hands up!"

Batman took a deep breath; the league was not going to like what he had to do. He pulled out three smoke grenades and threw them out the window. As the smoke dispersed, eliminating all visibility, Batman jumped out through the window and into the cloud. He ducked and weaved through coughing policemen, who didn't notice him through the black fog.

"Somebody clear this stuff out!" Jenna yelled, signaling for the police helicopter. Batman just got into his car as the smoke was being blown away by helicopter and raced out in between the police blockade.

"There he goes, after him!" Jenna yelled, pulling the door too her car open and jumping in.

The police tailed Batman as he sped down the highway at ungodly speeds. "It was a setup," Batman told Eve over the radio, "whoever killed Identity wants to frame me, wants to try and break me."

"Who could it be? Even Marone doesn't have the capacity for that kind of cruelty."

"I don't know," Christian answered, pulling out the sheet of paper, "but I have a feeling that we're going to find out tomorrow at twelve."

The blinding spotlight from the police helicopter made his usual escape more difficult, he had to lose the chopper. The car could take police gunfire, but not forever. The tunnel; that was it! If he could go underground he could ditch the police cars and the helicopter in one bold move.

Batman swerved to the left at the nearest tunnel exit and the police followed him just as he thought they would. Once they were all in the tunnel, Batman flipped a switch on his car and activated a sonic burst that caused the lights to flicker off. As the police cars continued to drive on, Batman pulled to the side and clicked the camouflage button, which projected a holographic image of a normal van around the batmobile. As he promised Kara, he kept the property damage to a minimum, though he had a feeling it wouldn't really matter at this point. For the time being, he was a prime suspect for the murder of Identity, and even when he was proven innocent the city government would not be happy that he embarrassed the police force like he had. The more important matter was who the hell actually managed to off Identity. The terrorist was practically untouchable, only he and Identity's followers knew his location. The display that had been put on for him was beyond sadistic; it was pure evil. Mocking the dead and killing in such a gruesome way was quite frankly horrifying.

"Eve, did you download the pictures I took from the crime scene," Batman asked as he pulled out of the parking spot and drove off towards the batcave.

"Yeah, I got it, unfortunately," Eve answered, "Even after all Identity had done, no one deserves a brutal death like that."

_Yeah_, Batman thought, _no one deserves to be killed in such a terrible way. God help me if I ever do meet someone so malevolent and vile._

Batman watched as some of Identity's followers walked out on the street publically and through their Oni masks into the road. Good, at least they might be able to move on to something better now.

Batman turned off the freeway into the forest path to the cave. He decided to take the more scenic route to clear his head and help him think. Turning on the tapped police radio, he listened in on the relayed messages.

"Commissioner, do you think the Batman's really snapped?" he heard one of the policemen ask.

"No," Jenna answered, "but he is a prime suspect and for a crime like this he needs to face the justice system. Also, the governor has been pressing me to make an arrest for weeks now, and at this point I can't keep making excuses."

The governor wanted his head? That meant one thing; that he and the league were now sure to collide in some way no matter what. Kara was probably given about a week to reign him in before they started tearing down his establishment, but with her watching his activities closely, he couldn't really get much done. Or maybe he could…

Maybe, if he somehow stayed close to Kara, throwing off all suspicion she may have, he might be able to have someone work on defenses.

Batman activated the thrusters an jumped over the small pond under the waterfall that concealed the batcave, then swerved to a stop inside.

"A dramatic entrance as always Mr. Wayne" Eve commented, walking over to meet him.

"Have you done any more analysis on the photos?"

Eve laughed, "Mr. Wayne you don't pay me enough for things like this."

Christian pulled off his cowl and gave her a skeptical look, "I thought you were one of the highest paid employees of Wayne Enterprise?"

Eve shook her head and answered, "I believe Mr. Fox is still ahead of me. Then again, he does deal with the industry section of your company."

"How has Mr. Fox been doing?" Christian asked as he pulled off his cape.

"I believe he just came back from his vacation, why do you need to meet with him?"

Christian shook his head, "No, I need you to meet with him?"

"Excuse me?"

"Eve, his grandfather used to work with my father. I need him to do a couple favors, favors that should stay between you and I."

Eve nodded, "So I can't tell my ladies at the hair salon?"

Christian laughed; Eve had a good sense of humor when she wanted to, though she was not the joking type. He handed her an envelope with some of the designs for a defense protocol he had been working on, then walked over towards the bat computer to analyze the murder scene. Who would do something like this?

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Christian decided the best way to get close to Kara and show her how 'reformed' he had become was through spending a bit more time as Bruce Wayne. So when he got a call from her, telling him about a large party thrown to honor reporters and other news related things, he couldn't really decline. Unfortunately, this meant putting Eve on the monitor for the night to keep an eye out for whatever was going to start at twelve. He knew she was losing a lot of her personal time to this mission, and he was beyond thankful that his most faithful friend had stayed with him this long. Christian decided to give Eve the week off after this, just to show his gratitude. She had earned it.

"Hey Eve?" he called over to her.

Eve turned away from the bookshelf she was organizing, Christian still had no idea why she insisted on it so much, and responded, "Yes Mr. Wayne?

"I've been invited by Kara to a ceremony, but the problem is that it's tonight. Do you mind watching the monitor for the mysterious killer?"

Eve surprisingly agreed more quickly then he thought she would. "Of course Mr. Wayne, you go out and enjoy yourself. I'll report to you if I see anything."

Christian smiled, "Thanks Eve, you can take next week off if you want."

"I don't know, Kara told me you can't cook without me," she said, "I would feel bad if Gotham's dark knight starved to death in a kitchen."

Christian nodded; somehow he knew she would say something like that. He pulled out his phone as he walked out and texted Kara, confirming that he would be attending. Before he went out the door to grab something to eat, he called over to Eve, "Do you mind going to see Fox today?"

Eve nodded, "I'll head out right away sir."

She watched as the door closed behind Christian, and then continued to work on organizing the bookshelf. Once she had finished making everything perfect, she grabbed one of the keys and went to the garage. One of the benefits of being Mr. Wayne's secretary was that you got to use his cars, which she had to say were nothing less then impressive. She opened the doors to Christian's Jaguar and got in, turning on the GPS to Wayne tower. She felt bad for not knowing the directions to the building where she worked, but one of her awful flaws is she didn't have a very good sense of direction. Christian used to joke that she would be the next Jesus if she didn't have that one flaw, which of course she would roll her eyes to and continue working.

Eve backed out of the driveway and drove off towards Wayne tower. As she drove, she thought about Christian's plan on defense. Unfortunately, he seemed extremely adamant that the conflict between he and the league could not be avoided. He had begun designing machines and suit applications to fight against specific members and she had to admit, she was impressed. She had always known that under his playboy exterior, Christian actually had a genius level intellect, but these designs were still incredible.

After about thirty minutes, she pulled into the Wayne tower driveway and parked her car in the executive parking lot. By now it had been established that Eve basically transcended most positions, and thus got privileges that most secretaries would not.

Eve pulled the yellow folder out of her purse as she stood in the elevator, waiting for it to take her up to Mr. Fox's office. Finally, a little bell sounded and the door slid open to the top level of Wayne towers, where all the big wigs of the corporation lived. Her high heels clicking on the marble surface, Eve walked over towards Mr. Fox's office and knocked on the door. Mr. Fox was sitting at his desk, messing around with one of his many trinkets. Eve sighed and knocked again, more loudly this time, to get his attention. Fox looked up to see who it was, then gave her a toothy grin when he saw it was Eve.

He opened the door, letting her into his office, and greeted, "Ms. Eve Wesson, what can I do to you today?"

Eve smiled and put the folder down on the table, "Mr. Wayne has a request, it's a bit strange and he'd rather you keep it on the down low."

"Well let me take a look at it," he told her, putting on his reading glasses and picking up the papers in the folder.

He frowned as he read over it, "I knew my grandfather worked with some powerful people, but this is… a surprise."

"Yes, Mr. Wayne has taken up a rather strange hobby as of late."

Fox nodded and handed the papers back, "A robotic suit? A light speed response camera? An anti matter conductor? This may take a bit to make."

Eve nodded, "All he needs you to do is have this constructed without drawing attention from the league."

"And the kryptonite is for girl problems I assume," commented Mr. Fox, who was among the many who knew the history between Christian and Kara.

"Call it insurance against angry family members."

Fox chuckled a bit, and then stored the blueprints in his desk. "Will that be all Ms. Wesson?"

"I believe so, Nick," Eve answered, picking her purse up from his desk and standing up from her seat.

"Oh and Ms. Wesson," Fox told her, "Please do continue watching over Christian. He really does need you."

"Don't worry Mr. Fox, he's in good hands," She answered, and then headed out of the room.

As she walked back to the elevator, her phone went off, playing Beethoven's 6th symphony. Eve picked it up, stepping into the elevator, and answered, "Hello?"

"Hey Eve, it's Wally,"

She should have recognized the lighthearted tone over the phone, but her mind was elsewhere. Before Christian became Batman, he had many business deals with Star Labs, a company that was spearheaded by the goofy scientist's work.

"Hello Mr. West, what can I do for you?" she answered as she waited in the elevator.

"I was just calling to tell you to tell Christian to take things seriously with Kara. I'm seriously trying to prevent the fight that I think might happen by telling you this. If he doesn't listen to Kara, then Conner's not giving him anymore chances."

"I'm sure he's aware of that," Eve answered as she stepped into the car.

"Oh, well I know that, but could you still tell him? I would hate for things to get worse then they already have."

Eve sighed, "I will let him know you called Mr. West." She was about to hang up when she heard Wally's voice over the phone again.

"Wait, Eve!"

"Yes Mr. West?"

"You wanna grab dinner sometime?"

"Good day Mr. West."

Eve hung up the phone and put it back in her purse as she started up the engine and drove off back towards Wayne Manor. She needed to be ready for tonight; Mr. Wayne was counting on her.

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Christian pulled his Lamborghini up in front of the Plaza Hotel, the car stopping smoothly and silently. As he stepped out, he was immediately mobbed by hordes of paparazzi and reporters, of course what could he expect from a ceremony appreciating them. Handing his keys to the valet, he headed into the hotel lobby, pushing both double doors open to make his usual large entrance. Tonight was all about playing nice for the league, as long as he did that he could stall the conflict for a bit longer. Christian smiled and waved to the flashing camera, and was greeted by one of the servers at the party.

"Mr. Wayne, the celebration is on the top of the hotel on the roof."

Christian nodded and entered one of the elevators along with a couple other members of the fundraiser brigade and waited. Usually partying on the roof would be considered unsafe, but the plaza was famous for its spectacular, well, plaza on top of the hotel.

The elevator doors slid open, revealing the incredible view of the Gotham night. Christian walked out and grabbed a drink from one of the passing waters and took a small sip. He couldn't drink much tonight, he needed all his senses for what may come.

He looked around at the small thriving community Gotham had. Unfortunately, the line between the wealthy and the poor was very definite, thus the incredibly high crime rates. Sometimes he wondered if Batman could ever get rid of the leading cause of crime, desperation. As he looked at the jewelry, the drinks, the fat spread that was laid out on the table, he thought of how many were going hungry tonight.

"Christian, how's it going buddy!"

Christian turned around and saw Jimmy with Kara around his arm, giving him a big smile.

"Hey Jimmy," Christian greeted, shaking his hand, "How's it going?"

"Well you know how it is, the daily planet is getting recognized at this ceremony and I'd really hate to miss out."

Christian nodded, "Can't say I've ever gone to one of these before. The press and I, we usually don't agree."

Jimmy laughed, "Well we might if you stop giving us so much to write about!"

"Well you know me," joked Christian, "stuck in my old ways."

The irony was not lost on Kara, who raised her eyebrow at him skeptically. "Yeah, still the Christian I knew in college."

Christian gave a fake smile, "but I've been on my best behavior lately, so hopefully I can duck out of the spotlight for a bit."

Jimmy took a sip from his drink and nodded, "It's very possible, what with Identity dead and Batman still at large. I was planning on leaving Gotham earlier, but what kind of head editor would I be if I let opportunities to get firsthand coverage on these stories go to waste!"

"A safe one I suppose," Kara told him, she was obviously worried about Jimmy staying in Gotham for so long.

"Don't worry sweetheart, I'll be fine," he reassured her, "besides, I remember when I was just a photographer with Louis Lane, she was always in the heat of danger for the report."

"Jimmy, Louis had Superman on her waiting call. She was practically never in danger," Christian said as he grabbed a cheese square from one of the waiters and popped it in his mouth.

Jimmy nodded, "The man of steel was nothing like Batman, always so noble and so honorable. Though if there's one thing I respect Batman for, it's his steadfast. I was personally shocked that he never ended up killing anyone, that is except for the Joker."

"Yeah," Christian commented, "I guess he just snapped under the pressure."

"It was so unlike him though. Batman was so determined never to cross that line, then one day he just does? I don't believe it," Jimmy said as the lights began to dim.

A man walked up onto the stage that had been set for handing out the awards and stood in front of the podium. "Thank you for coming," he announced, "I am proud to host the annual, hee hee, the annual hee hee hee…"

Christian and the others watched in confusion as the host bent over and started laughing hysterically, what was so funny? The man started to laugh even harder, gasping for air as he fell down in front of the crowd. Christian ran over and took a look at the host, who was beginning to turn blue.

"What's happening to him?" Kara asked as she bent over the laughing man with him.

"I-I don't know! Someone get him medical attention quickl…"

Suddenly, a mad laughter started playing on the speakers surrounding the plaza's roof. Christian tried to look around and find where the laughter was coming from, but to no avail. The maniacal laughter continued, growing louder and more sinister as fog began to cover the stage.

"What the hell is going on?" Jimmy asked, backing away from the stage with Kara.

Christian squinted at the fog and noticed a dark figure inside. The silhouette of the man became more defined as the fog began to clear, though Christian still couldn't tell who it was.

Suddenly, Identity's courier jumped out of the fog, doing three flips and landing perfectly on her feet with an assault rifle in her hands. Something was different about her though, instead of the Oni mask, she had a strange white make up on with black around her eyes. Was she Identity's murderer?

Three other men ran out of the fog, wearing what looked like clown masks and all holding submachine guns.

The fog was now only a thin veil that barely covered whoever was still inside it, in a couple seconds Christian would be able to see exactly who it was.

"Hello Gotham!" the figure announced in a sick, twisted voice as he stepped out of the fog. When Christian saw the man in full light, his jaw almost dropped. It couldn't be. It was impossible! The crowd gasped, some of the older members immediately screaming and falling over.

The man gave the crowd a wicked smile and laughed, "Joker here! **_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHH A!_**"

Christian couldn't believe what he was seeing. The bleached skin, the green hair, and the laugh, that horrifying laugh, it all pointed towards the obvious.

"I've been away for a long time, and I must say I am a bit disappointed," the Joker said, shaking his head in 'disappointment', "Gotham seems to have lost its edge, its pizzazz! What with criminals running around wearing the SAME DAMN THING! **_HA HA!_**"

"You aren't the real Joker," a brave man yelled at him, shaking his fists, "the Batman killed Joker years ago!"

The Joker just simply laughed, "Ho ho kiddo, I'm feeling more alive then ever…"

Joker pulled out a strange looking purple gun and shot the man in the chest, causing him to crumple over on the ground. The crowd screamed and backed away, looking in horror as the man twisted and turned in agony on the floor.

"**_HAHAHAHAHAHA_**, this one always cracks me up," Joker laughed, "Honey, would you kindly speed up the process?"

Identity's courier saluted him, "A-OK Mr. J!"

She turned towards the man and kicked him in the ribs as hard as she could, causing him to roll onto his side. As she continued to kick him, the man's muscles began to bulge, pulsing out to abnormal sizes. Suddenly, the man roared loudly and his spine burst through his skin. Bone spikes began to pop out from his elbows and head as he grew to inhuman sizes, roaring and wailing as loud as he could.

"Such a good girl," Joker laughed, "reminds me of my mother!"

He then turned towards the crowd and yelled, "Say hello to the new era of humanity!" pointing at the monster that was once a party member and taking a slight bow.

The monster lunged forward and picked up three of the partygoers, and reporters, throwing them off the edge of the roof.

"**_HAHAHAAAA!_** Is this a party or what? Unfortunately, we're still missing our guest of honor. He just has to be here before I make my big announcement!"

As if on queue, Batman dropped down in front of the Joker, landing on top of the podium, causing it to smash into splinters.

"And here we are! Ladies and Gentlemen, the Batman!" Joker announced, snickering after he finished.

Three of the armed guards ran towards Batman, but were unable to get three steps before Batarangs went through their hands, causing them to drop their weapons. Batman was not going to waste a second on the gunmen; he was going to stop this before it even started.

Joker looked towards his men, who were clutching their hands in agony and snorted out a laugh, "Well right to the point, aren't we?"

"I'm taking you in," growled Batman, holding his fists up threateningly.

Joker doubled over laughing, almost tearing up at the eyes. "B-but Batman, we haven't even started yet! I mean come on, what good is a performance if it's cut short?"

Batman lunged at the Joker, but was quickly grabbed by the cap by the behemoth that was once an innocent man. The monster held Batman close to his face, snarling ferociously.

"Hold tight people," Joker told the crowd and Batman, "Cause right now marks Gotham city's decent into insanity. Some of us are a little closer then others," he gestured towards Batman, "But hey, who am I to talk? **_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!_**"

Batman pulled out a concentrated bear mace from his belt and sprayed it in the Titan's eyes, causing it to drop him. The beast flailed around, trying to swat the burning foam out of its eyes. While it was distracted, Batman turned towards the Joker and ran at him, but was quickly kicked aside by the Joker's hench girl.

"Now, now Batsy, do you really want to focus on me, or that titan whose about to kill around two hundred people? **_MWUHAHAHAHAA!_**"

Batman growled in frustration. He knew he couldn't sacrifice everyone there just to stop this man, and the titan was starting to recover. Batman turned around and threw three explosive batarangs at the beast before it could orient itself. The titan whirled around in anger, knocking down two of the innocents as it did. Batman lunged forward as powerfully as he could, tackling the Titan.

The beast struggled as Batman began to punch the creature while it was on the ground. This time he had come prepared for another encounter with these monsters. He had reinforced his glove so that his fist was more protected, and also more painful. After ten punches to the jaw, Batman grabbed the monster by the temples and started slamming the back of its head violently against the ground. As the creature started to lose consciousness, he heard more screams from the crowd.

Batman turned around and saw that Joker had shot three more bystanders, causing them to transform.

"Sorry," Joker laughed, "I got a little excited."

The three beasts charged at him all at once. Batman quickly dived away from one of them, but was grabbed by another and thrown against the ground. Before he could get up, the third ran over and kicked him as hard as it could, knocking Batman over the edge. He heard the people scream and the Joker's terrifying laugh as he descended at an alarming speed downwards. He had to think quickly and act fast if he wanted to survive. Shooting out a grapple at this speed would surely rip his arm off, so he was going to have to take his chances with gliding with a ripped cape.

Batman extended his arms outward, trying to expand his cape so it would stop his fall. The tares in the cape were messing up its ability to become rigid and take form, so Batman had to try a different approach. He grabbed the two corners of his cape and held his arms up, allowing him to slow his fall.

Batman hit the ground with a crash, falling straight through the overhead of a small shop. He stood up shakily, clutching his ribs in pain. Stupid, he had made a stupid mistake by going. If he hadn't, he could have changed more quickly and arrived before the Joker even began his address.

"Oracle," he coughed into his radio

"I'm here Batman, do you need to be picked up?"

"Yes," Batman answered, stumbling over towards an ally, past confused civilians. This was a whole new game now. The Joker had returned.

**A/N: It had to happen sooner or later! Prepare for the clown's reign of terror...**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I hope you all enjoy the ninth chapter of my story! Please leave reviews if you can, they help more then I can say.**

** IsaacClark: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I do love putting plot twists in the story, taking it in different directions is part of the fun. Hope you like this one!**

Chapter Nine: Talk of Fools

Dr. Harleen Quinzel had just finished tucking her children in and was now relaxing with her husband in front of the television. She had done it; she had managed to get her life on track. Ironically, she ended up marrying HER psychiatrist. The relationship was nothing like the one she had with he who shall never be mentioned in this household. She and her husband, John, had moved out to the outskirts of Gotham, deciding that the ruthless city was no place to raise children. Taking a sip of tea from her mug, she leaned in close to her sweetheart as he wrapped his arm around her.

"How are the kids honey?" her husband asked, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Sound asleep John," she answered, "like little angels."

John nodded and turned back the screen, watching it attentively. Of course they had been keeping updated with the return of the Joker, much to Harleen's displeasure.

"Are you sure you'll be alright? We can go to Metropolis if you want."

Harley shook her head, "I'm not going to let that madman rule my life anymore. I'm not cowering in fear from him ever again."

Her husband nodded, "Even so, if there's anything…"

"I'm fine," Harleen laughed, giving him a peck on the cheek, "but thanks for caring."

John held her closer, and was about to get a bit more intimate when they heard a ring at the doorbell.

"It's twelve at night, who could that be," he muttered to himself as he walked towards the door. Harley sat nervously watching her husband open the door with a click, hoping everything was all right.

"Hello?" John said as he opened the door, but stumbled backwards suddenly. "You… why are you here?"

Whoever was at the door pushed John aside when he tried to stop the man from entering, causing Harley to bound out of the couch. She ran over towards the door, fists up menacingly, but immediately stopped in her tracks when she saw who it was.

"Dr. Quinzel," Batman greeted in his usual stoic way, "We need to talk."

"B-man?" Harleen hadn't said that name since she was around twenty-five, it sounded strange hearing it again.

"Listen Batman, I don't know who you think you are, but my wife has done nothing wrong," John yelled; jumping back up to his feet, ready to fight.

"On the contrary, she has done many things wrong. Whether she's done something recently is yet to be seen."

John gritted his teeth, where the hell did this guy get off breaking into their house and throwing around accusations. It was because of him that the Joker was back in the first place! "Harleen doesn't have to do anything, she's a free and sane…"

Harleen cut him off with her hand and told him, "Don't worry John, I'll handle this."

"Honey are you sure?" he asked, not wanting his wife to end up in a full body cast at the end of this meeting.

Harleen nodded, so John reluctantly left the two alone in the living room.

After the door closed behind him, Harleen asked, "What can I do for you?"

"We need to talk about clowns," Batman answered in a dark and threatening voice.

"In this city, they're never funny," Harleen told him, pulling a chair up for herself.

"How, how is he back?"

Harleen's eyes suddenly began tearing up, so her to buried her face in her hands and moaned, "I knew this would get out eventually. God, this is my fault!"

"How, what did you do?" growled Batman, clenching his fists.

Harleen sighed, "Before I was declared sane, I was carrying the Joker's child. Many thought that it had been miscarriage because of how messed up the Joker was, but the child was alive. He was alive, but not well. It resembled him in every way, its red lips, its white skin, and its horrifying smile. I couldn't take raising it; every time I saw him I saw how I failed the Joker. I saw how I had let him die…"

"So what did you do?" Batman pressed again

"So I left it. Someone could have mistaken it for the spawn of the devil, but I guess it practically was. In essence, I gave birth to the anti Christ. Now that devil's come back to haunt me and the rest of Gotham. Batman, you have to stop him. No more can die because of me, please."

That was it, of course. Harley Quinn was reported pregnant before the end of the Arkham incident. The Joker's son, he was born with that same sick and twisted mind that the original had gained from a dip in the wrong chemicals.

"Batman,"

Batman looked back at Harleen, who was giving him a serious look. When he saw her eyes, he almost felt bad for her. Her eyes were old, tired, and worn out. Even though she was only in her late thirties, the years of working under the Joker had taken their toll.

"It must have been painful," Harleen continued

Batman, confused by this cryptic comment, asked, "What do you mean?"

"Having your family ripped away from you."

Batman turned away and began walking towards the door. He wouldn't be psychoanalyzed by the ex henchwoman of the Joker. He had enough things to deal with.

"Batman, are you alright? If you're depressed, you can tell me about it. I know you may not be the one that I fought all those years ago, but I learned a lot in my time of darkness."

Batman halted. She knew exactly who he was, but wasn't even holding it over him. It seemed as if Harley Quinn actually had changed. He clenched his fists tighter, trying not to think back on the night where his life changed forever.

"Batman? You can tell me if you feel sorrow for the death of your loved ones."

"I'm not sad," Batman answered, short and simple as he turned back towards Harley.

Harleen gave him a curious look and then asked, "How do you feel then?"

Sitting down, Batman looked Harley straight in the eyes, but she seemed un-intimidated by this. "What I feel doesn't matter. What matters is bringing the Joker in before people get hurt."

"But Batman, he's going to try to break you emotionally. The only way to stay strong against a mind like his is to be as stable as one can possibly become."

Batman growled, "He won't be able to get to me. I won't let that sick, demented man drive me over the edge."

"Are you really stable? After your Dad and sister died, have you ever been the same. I believe you feel guilty for something that was out of your hands completely."

Batman glared at her, making sure Harleen knew to choose her next words carefully, lest she invoke his anger.

"Do you feel guilty?'

"No," he growled, "I'm not guilty. I'm angry."

Harleen Quinzel nodded, listening to him as she would one of her normal patients. The Batman (or Batmen) was by far one of the most complex personalities she had ever seen, even rivaling the Joker's. The first Dark Knight's ability to keep himself under control was uncanny and his willpower was almost godlike. Was this new Batman as motivated and steadfast as the last?

"Well Batman, I…" she was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of a little boy's voice.

"Woah, it's Batman!" said Jack, her ten-year-old son. The boy ran down, as excited as a little kid could possibly get, and jumped on the couch next to his mother. "Mom, you never told me you knew Batman!"

Harleen smiled softly and ran her hand through his hair, "Yes honey, he and I are… old friends."

"This is so cool!" Jack mused, unable to contain his happiness.

Batman almost smiled when he saw the young boy grin widely, but he stopped himself as to avoid breaking character.

"Batman, what's it like when you're flying over the city?"

Batman thought carefully, and then responded, "Terrifying."

Jack's eyes went wide with amazement, "So you get scared just like me?"

Batman bent down, leaning on one knee in front of the child, and told him, "Everyone gets scared sometimes, even me. The fact that we are afraid isn't what's important, it's how we handle our fear."

Jack nodded, a huge smile still plastered to his face. Harleen was also smiling, glad that her children were looking up to someone so virtuous. "Alright Jack," she told him, "it's time for you to go back to bed."

"But mom, I want to stay here with you and Batman!" he pouted, crossing his arms and looking angrily at his mother. Batman pulled a small batarang out of his belt and gave it to Jack, then said, "Listen to your mother Jack, believe me she knows what's best."

Jack sighed in disappointment and headed back up to his room, muttering to himself about how much he hated his bedtime. Harley laughed a bit, while Batman stayed stoic and silent.

"So the Bat does have a heart."

"Harleen, I need to know what I'm up against," Batman told her, trying to drive the conversation back to where he had originally intended it to go.

"I'm sorry Batman, but I can't really help you. The Joker is as unpredictable as he is dangerous. Even after years of staying with the first one, I still don't know how his kind of mind thinks. He'll let you know when he wants to be found, and once he does you better be prepared to endure the storm. You cannot let your emotions rule you. You have to stay as distant as possible, it's the only way to stop him."

Batman nodded, it was just as he thought; the Joker was practically untraceable, even by his own mother. He was just going have to wait until the Joker made his next move.

Batman began to exit the house, when he stopped abruptly and turned back towards Harley. "Dr. Quinzel, I hope you and your family have a peaceful life. You deserve it after all you've been through."

Harleen nodded, "Good Luck Batman."

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Christian sat at the batcomputer looking through the reports with Eve and Kara, who was helping Christian as much as she could, frantically trying to find the Joker. They had been up all night reading over the case files and everyone except for Christian was almost out of steam. It had been a tiring an emotional night, especially for Kara.

Apparently after Batman had been flung off the side of the building the three Titans began terrorizing the crowd, snapping and stomping on people left and right. Kara had arrived as Superwoman to fight against the three monsters, but missed the Joker when he made his escape.

"How could I have let him go!" Kara said through gritted teeth, slamming her hand on the table she was sitting at, causing it to snap in half.

Christian ignored the property damage and continued on his work. Dr. Qunizel had suggested he stay as emotionally detached from the situation as possible, so that he couldn't be thrown for a loop by the maniacal clown.

Even with his effort though, it was hard to control his seething anger. Before the Joker had escaped, he had taken about thirty or forty hostages with him. What was even worse was amongst those hostages was his good friend and Kara's boyfriend, Jimmy Olson. He had let that madman take someone whom he considered to be practically family, even if he was with a woman he lo… no not that, never that.

Kara continued to kick pieces of the metal table in frustration, and finally Christian signaled for Eve to try and calm her down. He turned back to the batcomputer and watched all the cameras he had set up silently. This situation could not get out of control, and he had to keep himself under control. At this point, Kara was too close to the incident and he was going to have to pull her off the case. While it may put him in an even worse position with the league, it didn't matter now. The Joker was on the loose, which meant nothing else mattered at the moment.

He heard the click of Eve's high heels coming down the stairs, the sound resounding through the cave. Christian swiveled his chair around to face her, and was surprised to see how exhausted she was.

"Eve, are you alright?"

Eve glared at him and told him angrily, "Mr. Wayne I haven't gotten a minute of sleep and just had to comfort an upset woman, how do you think I feel?"

"Point taken," Christian answered, turning back to his work so he wouldn't aggravate Eve any more.

As he stared at the screen, he felt a shiver go down his spine. It was a cold and unnerving feeling, as if an angry deity was watching him. This could only mean one thing; Eve was still glaring at him. Christian turned back around nervously and saw she was indeed giving him the evil eyes from behind her pointed glasses. Eve's skunk eye was enough to make a fully-grown timber wolf tuck its tail under and slink away whimpering. Even his father, the original Batman, used to tell him how scared he was of that glare. Christian was not going to show weakness this time, he would stand up to the stare.

"Yes?" he gulped, trying to keep a tough front up.

"You know she's still upstairs crying, right?"

Christian gave her a skeptical look, "Didn't you deal with it?"

This response only caused Eve to look at him more angrily, which shut him up pretty quickly. "Mr. Wayne, she's your best friend, maybe even more then that! If she means that much to you, you're going up there to comfort her yourself!"

Christian groaned, he really did NOT have time right now to deal with relationships. He had a psychotic murderer on the loose; an upset woman was the least of his problems. Kara may mean a lot to him, but if the Joker was to be found and brought in, he was going to have to focus on the task at hand. At any minute, that madman could strike, taking the lives of thousands of innocent civilians. With the capacity of cruelty and pure evil the clown had, who knew what he would do?

"Mr. Wayne, I know that look. It's the 'there are more important things right now' look," Eve scolded him, "You may be my boss, but I'm ordering you to go up and deal with your problems. You can't just shut the people who care about you out like this. She needs you right now."

For some reason, that last sentence resonated with him. Christian remembered how after his dad and sister's death no one had stayed with hi. They had left him at his time of need. Those had been some of the loneliest days of his life; no one should ever be left like that after tragedy strikes. Christian sighed in defeat, his conscious had gotten the better of him.

"Do you mind keeping watch," Christian asked Eve, standing from his chair.

Eve smiled proudly and answered, "Of course Mr. Wayne."

Christian walked out of the bat cave and just followed the sound of Kara's sobs until he found her in his guest bedroom. She turned her head towards him when she heard him, giving him a good look at her face. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, her cheeks glistened from her tears.

"It was my fault…" she said softly, burying her face in her arm again.

Christian pulled up a chair and sat down next to her, "I'm sorry Kara."

"I let the Joker get away with him, I let him down. How could I have not noticed him slipping away with FORTY hostages!"

Christian put his arm around her and pulled her close, "Kara you were doing your best. You tried to stop those creatures from killing all those civilians and he escaped in the mayhem."

"But I'm Superwoman for God's sake! I should have been stronger, faster!"

Christian suddenly saw something he had never seen in Kara before, himself. Was this what it was like to be on the other side of his warpath? He was determined he wouldn't let Kara become what he had turned into; he wouldn't let her get sucked into the vortex of depression and anger that had swallowed him.

Taking Kara by the hand, he lifted her chin and looked her dead in the eyes. "Kara, I promise you, I will stop him."

Kara looked into Christian's empty eyes and whimpered, "Do you promise?"

"I'll save him Kara, I won't let you don't. Not again."

Kara nodded and sniffed, "Thank you Christian."

Christian let go of her hand, sitting back in his chair. A strange, but peaceful silence descended upon them as he watched Kara wipe her tears away from her eyes. She really was beautiful, but she wasn't truly his.

Now, with the return of the Joker, Christian realized she might never be his. The fact was, the ball had been started rolling, and there was no way it would stop now. Until Gotham was truly safe, he couldn't stop being Batman, which seemed like an impossible mission. She was still the what if of his life. The what if that he would have to eventually forget.

"Christian, how do you do it?"

Christian turned towards her, a bit confused by her question, "How do I do what?"

"How do you stay so calm and sane at times like these?"

Christian grimaced and looked towards his feet, "I don't."

He knew very well that he wasn't in his right mind; in fact he was probably completely insane. That's what allowed him to endure the pain and the psychological torment; his mind was already a wreck. In terms of psychosis, he didn't have much left to lose.

"You know they're going to come after you if you don't stop, right?"

Christian nodded, the league had sent four people to try and talk him out of his mission; now they won't be ignored. "and where will you stand with when the fight begins?"

Kara lowered her eyes to the ground; she obviously had now idea. Christian didn't feel bad making her choose sides though; what the league was doing was wrong and corrupt. He would not allow the league to stop him from protecting Gotham just because some government officials were upset. "Well?"

"Christian, you know my duty is to the country before you…"

Figures, Kara had grown up with Clark's parents, so she had the mind of a patriot drilled into her mind. Not Christian though, he had grown up around lies and had his family ripped violently from his hands. He had learned something that many in his situation never learn, harsh cold reality. "and my duty is towards the people of Gotham before the select few who happen to hold power."

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Batman stood atop the Gotham City News broadcast tower, listening in on the city below. From the top of the skyline, he could witness the city in all its nocturnal beauty. For such a dangerous time in Gotham, the city looked surprisingly peaceful from above, so peaceful one might not even suspect there was a mad clown on the loose. The neon lights lit Gotham up like a Christmas tree, a glow that might rival heaven itself. But Batman didn't admire the view city as a normal man might have. When he looked down upon it he only saw one thing, how filthy it was. His blinders were set so that all he noticed was the criminals that ran the streets and the citizens that had become victims of the greedy and the powerful.

Batman let himself fall of the tip off the tower, feeling the wind whip around his face as he plummeted towards the ground. He could feel the cold air biting his exposed lips, the pain almost made him feel alive. His arms went out, expanding the cape and allowing him to glide effortlessly across the city. This was his addiction, the danger and risks he took as Batman. While he would never admit it to anyone, he loved the adrenaline rush of a fight. He loved the heart pumping terror of the fall.

As he glided, he scanned through all of Gotham, patrolling for any trouble that may arise. Ever since the Joker had returned to his layer, there seemed to be a dip in crime. Criminals were now questioning if it was worth it to play this game, especially with someone as insane as the clown prince of crime. It was the uneasy calm before the storm. In the end, the most insane would be the only ones willing to continue crime.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Batman tilted hard left towards the sound of the scream. As he got closer to the noise, he could he more people screaming, what the hell was going on? He landed on the roof of an apartment across from the source of the screams, the Gotham City Park.

A green fog covered the entire area, causing mass panic and commotion from the civilians. Batman quickly switched on his breathing apparatus, causing a glass screen to cover up the exposed part of his face. Air began pumping through the cowl as Batman jumped down into the fog.

When he entered the thick green cloud, he found it extremely difficult to see. Switching on his infrared vision, he scanned the area for any possible sources where the green gas may be coming from. His search efforts he soon found where being hampered though by the loud yells coming from the civilians.

"Oracle, are you getting this?" Batman growled over his radio link

"If you are referring to the large chemical bomb explosions that are being shown on the evening news, then yes, I am." Eve answered

Batman finally got a fix on one of the dispensers and ran through the thick green fog towards it. As he got closer to the gas canister, he heard something odd. The people's screams were turning into uncontrollable laughter. Batman looked around in confusion, what was happening to them?

Suddenly, something bumped into his back. Spinning around instinctively, Batman found himself face to face with a laughing civilian. The poor man was laughing so hard he could barely breath, his skin turning white and his pupils becoming small dots. Batman immediately recognized this affliction as the same one that had killed the host of the media awards. He watched helplessly as the man literally laughed himself to death, gasping for are and sometimes choking out cries for help.

Picking up one of the gas dispersing machines, Batman scanned over it quickly, sending an image to Eve.

"Oracle, I've found the device used to expel the chemicals into the air. Victims exposed to the chemical are forced into fits of laughter, causing them to asphyxiate and die. Side effects of the gas are pale white skin and extremely dilated pupils."

Batman sent her a picture of the man who had just suffocated in front of him. He heard Eve gasp in horrer over the inter comm.

"My God, that's terrible…"

"I'm going to see if I can deactivate the dispersers and stop the chemical from spreading. While I'm at it, I need you to dig through the old files and try and find a cure for the gas."

Batman then switched off his communicator and turned back to the canister. He tried to use the valve on the side of the container to switch it off, but it was no use, he needed a better way. With a hard punch, he bent the metal nozzle of the canister, causing it to clog up and stop shooting the dangerous gas into the air. Setting his cowl to scan for objects with a shape similar to the first gas disperser's.

As Batman searched for and jammed each one of the Joker gas canisters, the frustrating feeling of failure came over him again. Everywhere he walked, the sidewalks were strewn with the dead, all with terrifying smiles plastered to their face. The Joker had spared no one; even his own henchmen lay dead on the ground. The sickening sound of choked laughs filled the air, ringing in Batman's ears. He had to focus, remember what Dr. Quinzel told him. He had to emotionally detached. He couldn't let this madman get to him.

As he approached the last and largest of the canisters, he noticed four heat signatures guarding it. The Joker had placed four of his men, all wearing gas masks, around the main container. Batman knew he had to be careful, if one of the bullets punctured the walls of the canister, the resulting leak would make the damage irreversible. He had the advantage of sight though, the green cloud would make it extremely difficult for the gunmen to see him coming. All he had to do was stay out of sight.

Batman moved silently through the blinding fog, weaving behind and around the armed thugs without them even knowing. Once he spotted an opening, he jumped on it. From behind, he snaked his arms around the clown's neck and flexed, choking him into submission. Batman pulled the thug's unconscious body into the bushes and then moved on to the other three.

Two thugs were standing back to back with each other; it was foolish to think they were safe. Batman shot his batclaw out and latched on to one of the gunman's chest. With a powerful tug, he pulled the man into a clothesline, knocking him out with the forceful impact from his gauntlet. Before the other armed man could even pull the trigger, Batman swung his forearm into the barrel of the gun. Batman caught the tip of the firearm in-between the edges on his glove, pointing the gun away from the canister. With a single powerful, jaw-breaking uppercut from his free hand, Batman knocked the thug to the ground. Before he could move towards the last clown, he heard a loud voice.

"Freeze Batfreak! I'll shoot, I swear!"

Batman turned around and saw the last gunman pointing a pistol at him. The man's knees were quaking, eyes wide in fear; he obviously was scared that he didn't have control of the situation. The man was right; he didn't have control.

Batman walked towards him slowly and confidently, the clown not daring to shoot.

"Stay back, I'm warning you!"

Batman got within arms length of him and looked down angrily. Taking hold of the gun's muzzle, he put the barrel right on his head. Breathing calmly, he uttered one command.

"Go ahead, shoot me."

The man shivered and sweated, but still didn't pull the trigger. Batman continued to hold the gun up to his forehead, as if challenging fate itself. "Do it, pull the trigger, take my life."

For some reason, the man just couldn't. Batman's confidences and intimidation had worked; he was so willing to put his life in danger that it even scared an insane man with a gun. In one swift movement, Batman smacked the gun out of the man's hand and let loose a devastating punch to the stomach, knocking the wind out of the clown. The gunman lay on the ground wheezing, gasping for air as Batman stood back and then gave the nozzle of the main distributer a powerful punch.

"Hello? Hello is this thing on?"

Batman turned towards the voice and noticed it was coming from a small radio strapped to one of the Joker's henchmen. "Hello? Bats I know you're there!"

Picking up the radio, Batman growled into it, "What do you want."

"Hehehehehehe, is that any way to treat a friend? C'mon Bat's, what'd ya think of my pre-party blow out! Or blow up I should say, hehehehehehehehe!"

"I'm going to hunt you down," threatened Batman, gripping the radio tightly

The Joker cracked up, "Ohohoho Bats I'm counting on it! Look around you, isn't it great? Everyone's got a smile!"

"You've killed hundreds of innocent people, there's nothing funny about it."

"Yeesh Bats," Joker laughed, "why so serious? You need to loosen up a bit or you won't be ready for the big fiesta!"

"What big fiesta!?" Batman demanded, what the hell was the Joker planning?

"Oops, let that one slip. Got a little excited there Bats, but then again who wouldn't? Ahh the fun we're going to have! **_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA_**!"

Batman crushed the radio with his bare hands, and then threw the broken machine on the ground. The Joker was planning something big, but what? Not much could overshadow this attack; Batman couldn't even be sure of how many people were killed in this random act of violence, all just to deliver a message. Rage began flowing through his body like a roaring river, the Joker had to be stopped.

Then, Batman noticed something attached to the henchmen. It was a identification card for the New Jersey state government (I looked it up and apparently that's the state Gotham is in). Someone on the state level was involved; the Joker had the government on payroll!

Batman's anger peaked, causing him to give the downed thug a hard kick to the ribs. How could someone in the government betray his or her own people like this! He wasn't going to stand for this; it was time to pay the state government a little visit.

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"Harley!"

Harley walked towards the Joker, dressed in a black and red blouse with lace. She was aware that the Joker very well knew her real name wasn't Harley, but he told her time and time again, "If a joke ain't broke, don't fix it."

Her real name was Haley Queen, which was what made the Joker take an interest in her. So she let him call her Harley as long as he stayed with her. Of course she would do anything for the one who brought her out of her dull, mundane life, and showed her a whole new world. When Harley reached his armchair, she bent over and gave him a kiss on the cheek and asked, "What is it Mr. J?"

"How are the party favors coming along?"

"Just fine Mistah J, the boys are almost ready for your grand fiesta!" she reported bubbly. The Joker smiled widely, obviously pleased by this news. Harley almost flinched when she saw his wicked smile, not out of fear but out of awe. She knew how important it was to execute this attack perfectly, it would mean their heads if they didn't. Joker made sure to express the importance of keeping the running gag. She wasn't quite sure what he meant, but just assumed it had to do with living up to his father's legacy. That's what it seemed to be about these days. With a new Batman, comes a new Joker, it only made sense.

"Hehehehehe! What fun we're going to have, bring me the gas…"

Harley picked up several large canisters containing Joker venom laced with another dangerous chemical. When she handed two of them to him, he giggled happily. "Bats is gonna bust a gut when he hears this one!"

"You're mad!"

Joker turned towards the brave hostage who had stood up to him. Harley watched nervously as Joker walked to the red haired man, giggling menacingly.

"You're quite brave aren't you?" he said teasingly, pulling out a small razor from his pocket, "to bad brave hostages aren't very funny…"

As Joker placed his knife at the hostage's neck, he suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong Mistah J?" Harley asked, confused as to why her sweetie hadn't ended the man's miserable life yet.

"Harley don't you see, this man's famous!"

Harley took another look at him, and then recognized his face as well. "Oh yeah, you're that Jimmy Oleson guy, the one that runs the Daily Planet! Mistah J and I love the cartoons you put in there!"

"Quite right pooh," Joker laughed, "well I'd feel bad killing off a big shot like you with just a simple slice to the throat! No, you can play a more spectacular role, but what should it be…"

"He's the prodigy of that one lady Lois Lane, maybe he has connections with the super family," Harley suggested hopefully

Joker shook his head and muttered, "no, no, the super powered men and women in tights can't get involved yet… Aha! I've got it!"

Jimmy struggled as Joker and Harley grabbed is arms and dragged him away from the rest of the hostages. "Stop struggling Jimmy boy! You're gonna be one of the starring roles!"

**A/N: Jimmy shouldn't have opened his mouth... Anyways, plz review and if you really liked it, add it as a favorite!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Well I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Remember to leave a review once you're done reading, it really helps to get feedback!**

** IsaacClark: I'm glad you liked what I did with Harleen (I try to use the name Harleen for the old Harley and just Harley for the new Harley), because she's going to be back in later chapters.**

Chapter 10: The Party Begins

"Christian, this is a beyond terrible idea," Kara told him as he packed up his suitcase. Under the guise of a business trip, Christian was planning to travel to Trenton to give the state government a piece of his mind.

"You know they're already upset with you," Kara continued, "what do you thinks' going to happen when you kick down their doors and start smashing heads!"

"Joker's getting funding and resources from one of them, and I need to find out who it is before that madman strikes again."

Kara shook her head, "What are you going to do? Spy on them until you find which one has been contacting Joker?"

"Exactly, and once I do I'm going to break both his arms and maybe a couple ribs," Christian growled, slamming his suitcase closed. He picked up the case by the handle and called to Eve, "How long till we have to leave for the flight?"

"Fifteen minutes Mr. Wayne," she called back, "I have a hotel booked for a week already, is that long enough?"  
"It should be fine, I own the place after all," Christian said, checking his watch instinctively.

"Alright, but then I have to come with you."

Christian gave her an annoyed glare, "When did you become my babysitter?"  
"You're on high surveillance by the league; if I leave you alone they may take it as a signal to move in. You wouldn't want this fight jeopardizing your mission, would you?" Kara told him, arms crossed impatiently.

Christian sighed, "How quickly can you get packed?"

Kara smiled, and then suddenly disappeared in a streak. After three seconds flat, she reappeared with three suitcases, a carry on, and a new outfit. Christian rolled his eyes and asked, "Why do you need three suitcases? We'll only be there for a week."

"You aren't a girl so you wouldn't understand," Kara told him childishly, sticking her tongue out at him.

Christian just assumed she probably new best and carried his suitcase outside to the limo. Kara followed him, holding all three heavy suitcases with one arm effortlessly. Once they reached the car, Eve opened up the trunk and helped stuff all the bags inside.

"You sure you wanna travel with me?" Christian asked

Kara smiled, "Why? Worried you won't pick up as many women with me around?"

"No, I'm worried you'll look like my newest floozy."

Kara laughed, "You forget so soon that I'm a farm girl, I wouldn't be caught dead doing… whatever you do with your various assortment of bimbos."

Christian nodded and opened the door for her, and then nodded towards Eve to start up the car. Christian hopped in and closed the door behind him.

As they drove towards the airport, Christian looked out of the window towards Gotham and saw something that broke his heart. People were hiding in fear, fear for their lives. They hid in their homes, closed their stores, and shut off their lights. This wasn't how people were supposed to live, in constant concern for their lives. The Joker had changed the city's attitude; he even shocked the other criminals. Sources told him Falcone had left the city, for fear of getting mixed up with the clown. This wasn't a game for the ordinary, no it was a game for freaks and psychopaths, himself included. This sight only made him more determined to stop the Joker, never again would he take the lives of hundreds like he had the night of the gas attack. Never again, he swore to himself.

"So how do you plan to make this arrest," Kara asked him

"I've tipped off the commissioner to be in Trenton when I strike. Once I've beaten the tar out of the proper people, I'll leave the scum for the police. Jenna said if my hunches are correct, then she should have enough to make the arrest and push the trial. If we do this, hopefully the Joker's main cash flow will be cut off."

"And how will you not anger everyone with political power?"

"Some things can't be avoided," Christian answered. This would definitely push the envelope in the ever so delicate situation he was in with the league, but it was necessary if he was going to stop the Joker.

Kara sighed in defeat, there was obviously no convincing him otherwise. She knew this would end up being the last straw and all she could do was watch.

"You're going to have to be fawning over me."

Kara looked at him as if he had just said 'I like killing children'

"What do you mean?"

"To keep up my appearance, I need a blonde around my arm about everywhere I go. I was going to call that cute reporter Katie Vale, but now that you're here you can fill the part nicely."

"W-what?! I told you, I'm a country girl; I have morals! Do you know how disappointed Ma and Pa would be if I they saw this? You have a reputation Christian, and it's not one I want to be a part of!"

Christian waved her off, "Calm down, we won't be doing what I do with most my arm candy. It'll just be for the cameras."

Kara pouted, but ultimately ended up agreeing. Christian gave her the rundown on how to act and what to say while Eve snickered quietly up front. He was secretly a little curious to see what it would look like if Kara acted like one of the starry eyed bimbos. The Kents had definitely engrained their Smallville morals into her mind. He thought back on when he was dating Kara and he met Clark's parents for the first time. His city boy morals had not gone over well with the old folks, and the whole visit had ended with him being forbidden to see their little Kara again. Oh well.

When the car stopped, the press immediately swarmed the limousine. Eve got out calmly and opened up the door for Christian, ignoring the flashing cameras and question about insane rumors.

Kara was a surprisingly skilled actor, right as Christian stepped out of the car she was around his arm and whispering unspeakable things in his ear. The press, as Christian predicted, ate this up, leaving any questions about his reasons for travel or the fact that he was traveling at all out.

Kara would toy with her hair, run her finger down his chest, and occasionally act like she was kissing his neck. Christian hated to admit it, but he was enjoying the act a considerable amount. The two followed Eve through the airport, who at this point was considering chasing off the media with a dagger.

Christian merely shot them a golden boy smile and waved to them as Kara followed his lead. As they began boarding Christian's jet, the press finally began to peel off. Closing the door of the jet behind her, Eve slid down to the floor and sighed in relief. Kara immediately let go of Christian and looked at herself as if she needed a bath.

"Alright Mr. Wayne, shall we get moving?"

Christian nodded to her, so Eve stood up and walked into the cockpit.

"I didn't know Eve knew how to pilot a plane," Kara said, peaking over her seat towards the cockpit.

"She's incredibly overqualified for this job," Christian answered, pulling out some drinks from one of the compartments. As he poured them some scotch, he said, "You know you're a better actor then you think."

"Hmm, the life of an actress never really occurred to me," Kara joked, taking a sip of her drink.

Christian nodded and took a drink, "So is this the longest you've been out of Metropolis?"

"Probably not, I've had some pretty long shifts at the watchtower."

"How's that?"

Kara sighed, "Not too exciting, but it's necessary. If something happens we have to be ready for action."

"How about being on a team, do you like it," Christian asked, a bit curious about the other side of the spectrum.

"It's nice to know other people have your back, you should try it sometime."

Christian shook his head, "Being on a team is a liability. Other members could be captured and threatened just to get to me. I refuse to take the chance that someone could get hurt because of me."

"Christian, I'm bullet proof, have super strength, and I can fly. I'm not someone who is easily captured."

"Even if that is true, there are ways. In fact I'm pretty sure my dad has about eighty different ways recorded somewhere on that computer."

Kara raised her eyebrow suspiciously, "He did?"

Christian immediately regretted opening his mouth. Sometimes he forgot that Kara was almost as much of an enemy as the Joker was. While she may be on the side of justice, her association with the League made her a danger to the mission. It was to late to back out though; he had to find a way to escape.

"You know he was extremely paranoid. If the league were ever to turn, he needed defense protocols. They almost did turn on him."

Kara remembered the crises when Luthor had become president. Christian, of course, was completely unaware of the situation. He was off somewhere traveling, womanizing, and doing everything that he used to love so much. She was with the league trying to stop the madman. At the end of the battle, Superman almost did kill Lex Luthor, but was talked out of it by the Batman.

"As tempting as it was to kill Luthor, we never would. We could never cross that line."

Christian still didn't buy the act. It couldn't be that easy to just deny the temptation to end someone who could only cause the world harm. He was sure at one point Kara had almost crossed the line; maybe she had even crossed it before.

"Who has pushed you closest to the line?"

"Probably Lex, but lately you've been trying my patience," Kara told him with a wink

Christian smiled, "Wouldn't it lovely to be your first?"

Kara laughed, "Double entendres? Reverting to our old ways, are we Christian?"

"Must be the drinks," Christian responded, taking another sip of booze

"Careful, these jokes may cut into your brooding time."

"We wouldn't want that, would we?"

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Christian threw his suitcase on the bed and flipped it open, Kara watching over his shoulders.

"This is a three room suite, if you need anything Eve is right across the hall," he told her as he opened the secret compartment in his case and pulled the batsuit out of it.

"You're going out already? Christian we just got here," Kara said in a concerned voice.

Christian moved over towards the bathroom with his costume, "This is what I came here to do. If we're going to find Jimmy and the rest of the hostages I need to work quickly."

"Christian you should rest before you go though. Let me take the first watch, then you can go out tomorrow night."

Christian laughed, "No offense Kara, but your costume is white and bright red. Not exactly the most effective attire for a stealth mission."

Also, he needed to have minimal surveillance on him from the league as well as minimal questioning of his methods. One of those power hungry bastards was helping the Joker, and thus he needed to be punished. Christian could not tolerate the powerful treading on the weak; it was simply unacceptable. Those with power should be helping the less fortunate instead of filling their own wallets with meaningless paper.

Closing the door behind him, he began to suit up. As he pulled his Kevlar reinforced pads on, he thought of possible ways to expose the traitor to society. Christian pulled his gloves on and locked the gauntlets into place. Twisting the knob on the bottom of his wrist, he caused the edges on the side to spring out. Finally, he pulled the armored cowl over his head, transforming him into the demon of the Gotham.

Batman opened up the door, and saw Kara suited up.

"What are you doing," he growled, "I thought I told you to stay put."

"Well you don't have any authority over me, plus Jimmy is my boyfriend so I intend to help save him," she answered bitingly as she floated over towards the window.

Batman sighed in defeat, "Fine, but stay out of my way."

"I've been doing this for a while, longer then you have actually. I know what I'm doing."

Batman opened up the window, letting Kara fly out first. She offered his hand to him, but he quickly declined and shot out a grappling line towards an office building across from them. He was not going to be carried. Batman tugged the line to make sure it was secure, then swung out of the room, followed closely by Superwoman.

Once Batman got enough momentum from swinging, he expanded his cape out and began gliding off towards the governor's office.

"If you're going to be a part of this you have to do what I say," Batman told Superwoman as the two approached the large white building.

"Sure thing," she answered

Batman grunted in approval. "Then here's your job. Stay above the cloud line and tell me who enters and exits the building and from what entrance. If my hunch is correct, Joker should be sending henchmen in to pick up supplies for their operation."

"How do I know if they're working for Joker?"

Batman grimaced, "believe me, you'll know."

Superwoman took off above the clouds as Batman descended silently on top of the roof of the governor's office. Once he landed, he pulled out a small black remote from his belt and primed it. It was an EMP, designed to online take out security feed as to not raise too much suspicion. Batman clicked the button and activated the pulse, which as he predicted, took out all the security systems.

He swung inside the building, rolling silently under cover and past a patrolling security guard. Moving fluidly through the shadows, Batman made it out to one of the main hallways and jumped up to the ceiling. There he lay in wait for his target, which Kara would hopefully soon give him the signal for. Once he got his hands on the thug, he was going to beat the information out of him. When the thug finally gave him the name, he'd assess the situation from there. He knew it had to be someone who worked with the governor, but who?

"Batman, he's coming in," Superwoman reported over the intercom.

"Good," Batman answered, listening for the man entering.

He heard the click of the door opening and saw the shadow of a man entering the halls. As much as he wanted to, Batman couldn't immediately jump him. He had to wait to see what the clown was picking up, and THEN scare the shit out of him.

As he silently followed the unsuspecting thug, Batman sent a message to Jenna. The text told her to have policemen stationed outside for an arrest. If a criminal were caught being allowed into the building, it would instigate an investigation. Hopefully if he were under police pressure, the Joker's contact would crack. The convict reached what looked like a maintenance closet and went inside. Batman quickly followed through, allowing the door to close softly beside him.

What Batman saw, he could honestly say was stunning. Rows of chemical weapons lined the walls of the surprisingly roomy closet. This was it, the Joker was able to store some of his weaponry inside this place and get away with it completely. Not many searched government buildings, nor were they suspicious of mysterious locked doors.

The clown grabbed a couple containers of the joker gas and turned around. When he turned, he dropped the metal container and immediately went into the fetal position. Batman stood over him, glaring angrily at the unarmed thug.

"Damn it I knew I should have brought a gun!" he whimpered as he shuddered on the floor.

"You're right," Batman growled, picking the man up by the collar and slamming him against the wall, "you should have."

"Fuck you Bat freak, I ain't saying nothing!"

"Not what I wanted to hear," Batman snarled. He pulled out three batarangs and stabbed then through the man's hand, pinning him to the wall.

The thug wailed in pain, but still wouldn't say anything; "Bats do you know what he'll do to me if I squeal? This is NOTHING!"

"Really? Well maybe if I try the other hand…" Batman slammed three more batarangs through the thug's other hand. Once he was pinned by his hands, Batman began punching the criminal in the stomach. With each punch he snarled "TELL. ME. WHO. SUPPLIES. THE. JOKER!"

With one last punch, the thug's will finally cracked, "Fine, alright! It's the governor; he's the one storing this stuff for Joker. He lets Joker keep some of his chemicals here and also experiments to improve them. J gives most of the money he makes on crime to help support his campaign for re-election!"

This was bad. If the traitor was the governor himself, getting to him without any form of backlash would be almost impossible.

"L-look Bats, how's about you let me go now, huh? I told you what you wanted," the man wailed in fear

Batman turned back towards the thug and sneered, "You aren't going anywhere. The police are outside to take you away right now."

Batman tore the batarangs out of the man's hands violently and put them back in his belt. Before he left the closet, he turned and said, "If I were you, I'd have those cuts on your hand looked at. Wouldn't want them to get infected."

Batman kicked down the door and shot his grapple out through the skylight and ascended through.

"There are police gathering outside, was this part of your plan?" Superwoman asked

"Yes, but I need a favor from you."

"What is it," she asked

"I'm going to shoot a grapple up towards you. I need you to grab it and carry me away," he told her grudgingly as he aimed his hook. Once he got a lock on her position, he shot the grapple up towards her. Superwoman caught it and pulled Batman away into the night sky just as cops began to surround the area.

Before he left, he saw Jenna get out of one of the police cars and look up towards him. Not uttering a word, she gave him a simple nod, then turned back towards the policemen and yelled, "Alright, search the place! If you find the Batman in there bring him in as well!"

Superwoman let Batman off on top of on top of their hotel and landed next to him.

"So the governor is working for Joker?" she said in disbelief

Batman nodded grimly, "he has him on the payroll. It's unbelievable…"

"So what are we going to do? Move in?"

Batman shook his head, "We're going to wait for the police investigation to progress. The thug wouldn't dare testify in court for fear of being offed by the Joker. We need to wait for him to produce concrete evidence."

"And that closet full of Joker venom isn't enough evidence?"

"That only proves it's one of the government officials, not that it's the governor himself. We need to be patient."

Kara stomped her foot on the ground impatiently, "Every day we wait the Joker gets closer to killing those hostages! To killing Jimmy!"

"I know that," Batman yelled at her angrily, "I know the delicacy of the situation! That's why this has to be done right! He has to know there is no escape once I interrogate him. He has to know that the police will be at the door with guns and handcuffs along with concrete evidence that he's the lowlife supplying the Joker!"

Kara sighed in defeat, "Fine, we'll wait."

"Good, just be patient Kara. We'll find him; no one knows that more then me. I will bring that psychopath to justice. Jimmy is one of my best friends, one of my only friends. I won't let him die."

Kara smiled, "Thank you Christian, this means so much to me."

Batman simply nodded and jumped off the building, gliding down to the window of his royalty suite.

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Christian and Kara stood out on the balcony of their suite and watched the sunrise together. It had been about three days since the investigation of the governor's office went underway. The two had been up all night and hadn't ended up getting any sleep, so they figured that watching golden sky might be relaxing.

When Christian watched the sunrise, it gave him hope. It reminded him that after even the darkest of nights, the morning still arrives. That eventually, the sun illuminates every corner of his vision. Gotham would rise from the darkness. The dawn was coming.

"What are you thinking about?" Kara asked him, keeping her eyes fixed on the city's horizon.

"Nothing," Christian answered, looking away from the horizon, as the sun hurt his eyes, "Nothing at all."

"You know the sunsets always remind me of my time living in Kansas," Kara said dreamily, "the animals, the rolling hills, the golden fields…"

"That must have been nice. Why leave it for Metropolis?"

"Because," Kara answered, "I love that city and it needs me. Metropolis is one of the sunniest cities I've ever seen. So many people wearing a smile, it's a pretty surprising attitude for city folk."

"Yeah, Metropolis is a shining beacon for society. A paragon of a city," Christian remarked bitterly. He was honestly jealous of Metropolis's situation. If he had been in that city, his dad and sister wouldn't have been killed in cold blood. While the nights lasted longer then anything in Gotham, it seemed to always be day in Metropolis.

Kara seemed a little hurt by the comment, but decided it was best not to start a fight with him. "So how long are we going to wait?"

"Hopefully not to much longer. Eve has been keeping me updated on the case, along with Commissioner Carmen. From what I've heard the governor is already sweating, but we don't have any concrete evidence yet."

"Well, I guess we just continue to observe silently," Kara sighed, pulling out a cigarette from her pocket. Christian eyed the thing judgingly; this was pretty out of character for her.

She used her heat vision to light the cigarette and then took a puff, then slowly exhaled.

"I didn't know you smoked," Christian said a bit condescendingly

Kara smiled, "Well since I'm invulnerable to just about any gases or smokes unless they're laced with kryptonite there aren't any health repercussions. Just don't tell Clark, Ma, or Pa; they'd flip one if they found out about this nasty habit."

So the Smallville angel smokes, Christian thought, nothing isn't tainted these days.

Kara took another drag and exhaled, "I don't do it that much, but it helps me calm my nerves. You want one?"

Christian denied, "I'm not an all powerful alien, I can actually get cancer. If I'm going to be at the peak of physical condition, I can't pick up any bad habits, except for drinking. It's kinda too late for that one."

"Alright, just remember this is our little secret," Kara laughed

Christian nodded, "Don't worry, I won't tell a soul."

The sun had finished rising, peaking overtop the tallest buildings in Trenton. Christian hoped with all his might that this would be the day the governor cracked under the pressure. All he needed was one slip up, one word too far, and he could be on the scum like a tiger. He just needed that slip up.

While they were there though, the two had decided to attend the annual governor's address to the police of New Jersey. Each year, the governor would give a long winded speech honoring the state's finest and all their hard work, in Christian's eyes it was practically mockery.

"So why are we going to this thing again if all it's gonna do is make you brood," Kara asked playfully, laying her head on his lap as the two reclined on the couch.

"Because if he's most likely to slip up during a public event, and I want to be there when he does. The police can't get the information out of him, but I can."

Kara sighed, "Christian how can you be sure he's even going to crack? What if he doesn't slip up at all?"

"Oh he will. I know his type, and he's weak. He is a coward who is nothing but an ordinary criminal, and ordinary criminals ALWAYS crack." Christian told her confidently.

"Well then let's grab a bite before we head off," Kara asked, toying around with her bangs.

Christian thought for a bit, and then answered, "Can't, I have to continue surveillance of the governor's office."

"No!" Kara yelled, causing Christian to jump a bit, "you haven't eaten lunch in literally three days Christian. You need to eat."

"There's time for eating once we've brought the Joker in."

Kara shook her head, sitting up from his lap, "Christian believe me, you can't let this consume you. We both want to find Jimmy, but starving yourself isn't going to do it. Please, just eat."

Christian put his hands up in surrender, reluctantly deciding that she was probably right. He hadn't eaten normally for a while, and he was starting to get pretty hungry. Plus, if it wasn't Kara nagging him, it was going to be Eve, which was probably worse. Kara smiled and pulled him off the couch. Dragging him towards the door, she began naming off possible restaurants they could eat at. After some arguments between the best meal and the fastest meal, they agreed on a deli down the street.

As the two walked to the restaurant, Christian couldn't help but wonder how she was so calm about the situation. If it was someone he loved, he knew he wouldn't eat or sleep until he had found her. Maybe it was his lack of experience that triggered this response, or possibly just his fragile psyche. Either way, he couldn't help but feel jealous of her sturdy mind. Christian knew he was insane, and he hated it.

He opened the door for her, just as all Wayne gentlemen did, and then followed her inside to a booth. It looked as if the restaurant's theme was old America, which was right up Kara's ally. Kara smiled and picked up a menu. Christian just watched her as she read through; it reminded him of when they used to date.

_No_, he thought to himself, _it's over. I cant' get attached emotionally. I won't let people get hurt because of me._

"So what do you think you want?"

Christian's attention suddenly snapped back into reality, "I don't know. Let's just get this quickly so we can go back to work. I have preparations to make."

Kara tilted her head skeptically; "I hope it doesn't involve angering everyone with political power in a twelve mile radius."

"Have to crack some eggs to make an omelet."

"Christian," Kara warned, "you have got to be careful here. Please, just try to do this in the least graphic way possible."

"That'll be the governor's choice. If he tells me where Joker is the first time I ask, I'll let him get away with just a broken arm," Christian told her, putting down his menu and turning his attention to the approaching waitress.

"Hello, may I please take your…" The waitress then noticed whose order she was taking and squealed, "Oh my God, Christian Wayne?"

Christian shot her his best playboy smile, "The one and only."

"Oh my God! Wow, this is so cool!" she said excitedly, "Oh, I'm sorry, what do you want to eat Mr. Wayne?"

"I'll take a Ruben and the lady will have a…" he looked over to Kara, who answered

"I'll just take the west Virginia."

The waitress nodded, "Will that be all Mr. Wayne?"

"Yes it will, and please, call me Christian," he said smoothly as Kara rolled her eyes.

The waitress giggled with joy and responded, "OK Christian, your order will be ready soon!"

The girl ran off, leaving Christian alone with Kara again. When Christian turned around, he noticed Kara was shooting him a nasty glare.

"What," he asked, genuinely confused by her anger.

"Do you really have to hit on everything that moves," Kara asked him angrily, crossing her arms.

Christian shrugged, "I told you, I've got a reputation to uphold. The more shallow and stupid I look, the less I'm suspected of being Batman."

"Yeah, well just tone it down some," Kara said with a huff, "It's really sad to see women throw themselves at you like that."

"What can I say, it's the Wayne family charm."

Kara punched him lightly on the arm and stuck her tongue out at him jokingly. Christian laughed; she sometimes acted like such a kid.

After a couple minutes, which seemed like hours to Christian, their food came. Christian's mouth began to water when he saw the delicious sandwich put out in front of him. He had forgotten how hungry he really was.

With a large bite, he began to scarf down his lunch as fast as he could. As much… fun… as this was, he needed to keep constant surveillance. Since Eve was at the preparations for the speech, she wasn't able to cover for him. How was Eve doing? Could she be in trouble?

Christian shook his head, Eve knew three different martial arts and was surprisingly good at them. If anything happened, she could hold her own. But still…

"Christian, calm down," Kara told him, taking another bite out of her sandwich.

"What makes you think I'm not calm," he said, quickly finishing up his meal and washing it down with a drink.

"I know," she answered, "because I can hear your heart beating a million times per second. I swear, one of these days you're going to give yourself a heart attack."

"Yeah, wouldn't that be funny…" Christian said to himself, reminded of how his dad's business and bat life was ended by heart problems. He imagined the strain of his work was probably what would get him in the end.

"So, am I invited to this speech thing," Kara asked as she wiped some food off her lips.

Christian hadn't really though of that. Should he let her tag along? Kara was part of the justice league, and was assigned to watch him. If things went as he predicted they would, it would just add fuel to the fire between them. Though, if he turned her down, Conner may just decide that Kara isn't making any progress and roll in with the cavalry.

"I guess you can, but none of this can go to the league," he told her seriously

Kara bit her lip nervously, "What are you planning to do?"

"It's not what I'm planning on doing, it's what might happen. Things never go according to plan, and improvising may turn out to be… messy."

"I'll go behind the league if you can do one thing for me. I need you to make sure that psychopath doesn't hurt Jimmy no matter what." she told him with a determined glare.

Christian nodded and took Kara's hand in his. Gripping it tightly, he said, "Kara, I swear no matter what, I will save him. I won't let you down, I promise."

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Remember to leave a review and if you really liked it, a favorite. Feedback is what helps me decide where people would like the story to go or where I can improve, so please leave some!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I hope you all enjoy this next chapter! Remember to leave a review and a favorite if you liked it!**

** Isaac Clark: I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Here's a good action packed one for ya!**

Chapter 11: The Corrupt

Christian and Kara waited outside the hotel lobby for their limo. Tapping his foot impatiently on the sidewalk, Christian impulsively checked his watch. Eve was two minutes late, and that would not do. Everything had to go perfectly tonight, especially the timing. Two minutes could make all the difference, in those two minutes the governor could have cracked. In those two minutes, dozens could have died. Kara raised her eyebrow at Christian, giving him an annoyed look. "Wasn't it you who told me to be patient with this?"

"I told you it was important to be patient, not late," Christian retorted, looking back and forth from his watch to the street. Three minutes, she was three minutes late.

Finally, the long black limo pulled up in front of them, smoothly coming to a stop. Eve, dressed in her best black suit and pencil skirt, stepped out and opened the door for them. "Your ride Mr. Wayne."

Christian nodded hurriedly to her and stepped inside, quickly followed by Kara, who slid onto the seat next to him. "Step on it Eve," Christian told her as he opened up a small compartment under his seat.

"As you wish Mr. Wayne," Eve answered dryly, lurching the limousine to a speeding start.

Christian slid the small compartment out, checking to see if his real suit was still inside. In the slot, just as he had hoped, was the bat suit, ready to go.

"So what are you planning to do, beat the information out of him in public," Kara asked as she put in her earrings.

"No, if Jenna did her part, he's going to crack on his own. I've been following the investigation and the guy knows he can't even go to the bathroom without the police knowing. At this point he's losing a lot of business, and therefore a lot of his money. The governor may take drastic measures during the ceremony, or may just confess. Either way I'll be right there when he does."

Kara gave him an impressed look, "You've thought this all through, haven't you?"

"To the letter," Christian answered, "and if he doesn't confess or crack, I may just end up having to give him a little push."

"Hopefully it won't come to that," Kara said, looking out the window towards the gathering crowd. The stage was set right outside the governor's office. People were being shown to their seats, hundreds of cops all coming to one event.

Christian frowned and tapped on the window dividing the back seats from the driver, "Hey Eve, mind parking a little further away."

"As long as I don't have to carry you Mr. Wayne," Eve answered, turning the car around and parking it next to the sidewalk.

Christian stepped out of the limo and took a good breath of the cold night air. Taking Christian's hand, Kara left the limo and took a look around. Christian liked the nights in Trenton better; they were familiar. Hooking his arm around Kara's, the two walked over to their seats. As they walked over, Christian noticed snipers and other heavily armed police positioned on the roof. They were anticipating something just as much as he was.

The two sat down next to each other and looked up towards the podium where the governor would be speaking in a bit. Christian sighed, he was honestly really nervous. Jimmy's life depended on how well this night went.

"Christian Wayne? I can honestly say I didn't expect you to be here."

Christian turned to his left, where the voice came from, and saw Jenna Carmen in a black nightgown and high heels.

Smiling, he shook her hand, "Commissioner Carmen, how are you? I was just in town and thought this might be pretty cool."

Jenna sat down next to him and waved to Kara, "I especially didn't expect you to be here."

Kara smiled sadly, "Well I had to step in for Jimmy since he's missing."

"I'm so sorry about that Ms. Kent. We promise that we're doing everything we can about the Joker killings," Jenna told her reassuringly

Kara waved her off, "Don't worry about me Jenna. We Kents are strong; I'll be all right. I know you and Gotham's finest can handle this."

"Ladies, I think it's starting," Christian told them, pointing towards the governor, who was walking up onto the stage. Christian could almost smell the fear permeating off the man. The governor was pretty tall and also pretty young, with dark brown hair almost like Christian's.

"Good evening everyone," he greeted, pulling out his notes from his jacket, "I am glad you all could attend Trenton's annual honoring of the police forces of New Jersey. When I look out on this crowd, all I see are heroes. Heroes who defend their fellow men from those who wish to take advantage of good people."

Christian's teeth gritted; he couldn't bare the hypocrisy spouting from this man's mouth. He turned towards Kara to whisper his thoughts, but he noticed her eyes were wide in fear.

"Kara, what's wrong."

She turned to him and whispered urgently, "Christian, I think you forgot your other suit in the limo. Now might be a good time to grab it."

Christian nodded and awkwardly left the area, getting lots of angry glares from the rest of the audience.

He finally got out of the rows of seats and ran over towards his limo. Eve, who was standing next to it, gave him a curious look. "Leaving a little early Mr. Wayne?"

"No, just getting a change of clothes."

Eve opened the door for him and Christian jumped inside. Opening the compartment under his seat, he pulled out his bat suit and quickly got changed. Once he finished getting everything on, he dove out of the car into the ally.

As silently as he could, he grappled up the nearest building, which was a small run down apartment. Overlooking the speech, Christian activated his sonar vision. He immediately spotted three suspicious cars pulling up in front of the governor's office. Twelve men stepped out of the cars, each of them wearing clown masks and holding strange containers. Joker gas, they were going to attack the event!

Then it hit him; he knew what the governor was trying to do. He was going to frame an attack on him by the Joker, killing off a huge amount of New Jersey police. Before Christian could act, the twelve men had entered the fray. Over the tapped radio, he heard the governor whisper, "Rack 'em up."

"The Joker sends his regards!" yelled one of them, tossing a canister of Joker gas into the crowd. The people began to scream as two others threw their gas bombs, clouding up the area. The police positioned on the roof wouldn't be able to get clear shots on the clowns; it would be a slaughter fest.

Batman quickly spread his cape and glided off the roof towards one of the thugs. Before he could throw another gas bomb, Batman tackled him and threw the gas bomb away from the civilians. Two of the clowns pulled knives and ran at him yelling like madmen.

Batman quickly grabbed one of their arms and swung him around into the other, knocking him into the ground. He then kneed the clown in the stomach, twisted his arm around violently, and then kicked him onto the cold hard cement.

"I got you Batfreak!" yelled a thug, pulling a SMG from his coat.

Batman quickly rolled out of the way, then shot his batclaw out towards the armed thug. The batclaw latched onto the man's jacket with a tight grip. Batman yanked the line backwards, causing the man to come flying towards him. Sticking his arm outwards and running forward, Batman clotheslined the thug, smashing his clown mask.

Three other clowns ran at him with baseball bats that said "a bat for the bat." One tried to bring the bludgeon down on Batman's head, laughing maniacally. Batman swept at the man's foot and tripped him. The second tried to take a swing at Batman's ribs, but the Dark Knight grabbed the bat and pulled it out of the thug's hands. Batman slammed the but of the baseball bat into the clown's stomach, knocking the wind out of him, then swung it around into the third clown's leg, breaking it instantly.

A thug suddenly grabbed Batman from behind, allowing the one he had tripped to stand up and start hitting him in the gut with the bat. Batman grunted, feeling his ribs bruising after each hit. He grabbed the thug who was holding him by the hood and pulled him overhead. With a powerful kick, he sent the man flying into the clown with the bat, knocking them both to the ground.

"Look out!"

Batman heard the warning and quickly whirled around and saw a thug running at him with a crowbar. Catching the crow bar with one hand, Batman balled his hand and slammed his fist into the man's chest. The thug crumpled to the ground, wheezing and huffing, trying to get some air.

Batman turned around and saw it was Commissioner Carmen who had warned him. "Where's the governor," Batman growled

"He ran inside the building once things started going south, but we think he's armed."

"Get these people out of here," Batman told her as he walked over towards the governor's office, "I'll handle him."

"Wait, what are you going to do?" Jenna called back to him

"Get him to sing," Batman snarled.

When he got to the front doors of the building, he found they were chained shut. Using the edges on his gauntlets, he swung his forearm downwards and broke off the lock. Batman kicked down the doors loudly, to make sure the governor knew he was trapped like a rat.

Activating his sonar vision, he scanned the building for the coward. The governor had holed himself up in one of the bathrooms and was trying to climb through the window and escape. He wasn't going anywhere.

Batman burst into the bathroom and saw the governor almost halfway out the building. Grabbing his legs, he violently pulled the man back inside and onto the floor. The governor glared and struggled as Batman picked him up by the collar and slammed him against the glass, shattering part of it.

"Evening governor," Batman growled, pushing the governor up against the wall.

The governor spat at him and yelled, "What do you want?"

"Where's the Joker?"

He laughed, "Somehow I knew you were going to say that."

Batman snarled in frustration and pushed the governor's head into the side of the sink.

Grabbing his head in pain, the governor curled up as Batman kicked him in the ribs and yelled, "Where's the Joker?"

"You really think I'm gonna tell you where he is? There are some things worse then jail you know," the governor grunted, coughing out blood.

Batman picked him up again and threatened, "and I swear to God I'm one of them."

"Is he talking yet?" Superwoman asked as she entered the bathroom with Commissioner Carmen.

"Hah, you all really don't know who you're dealing with," laughed the governor, "I ain't crossing him for you!"

Rage coursed through the Batman's veins as he gripped the governor tighter and tighter. He was tired, tired of people protecting the Joker. Batman turned towards Jenna and said calmly, "Commissioner, do you mind going outside."

Jenna just nodded her head and ducked out, not wanting to even know what was going to happen.

Once the Commissioner had left, Batman kicked down one of the stall doors and threw the governor inside. Superwoman watched nervously as he broke one of overhead lights and tore out one of the wires.

"Batman, what are you doing," she asked as he grabbed the governor's head.

"Yeah, you gonna give me a swirly?" the governor jeered

Batman glared angrily at the man and told him, "one more chance. Tell me where Joker is!"

The governor merely smiled and spit at him again. Batman wiped the blood off his chest and took a deep breath.

Then, it happened. Taking the wire he had pulled from the light and the governor's head, he dunked both of them into the toilet. The water surged with electricity as the governor screamed and flailed around. Kara gasped and fell backwards, what was he thinking?

Batman pulled the governor's head out of the toilet and yelled, "Where is he!"

He just began to babble and cry, angering the Batman even more. Batman slammed the governor's head into the toilet and stuck the wire in again, causing another agonizing scream from the governor.

"Batman stop!" Superwoman pleaded, but he couldn't even here her.

Again, Batman brought the governor eye level to him, "Where is he!"

"The old toy factory! The one in the narrows!" the governor screamed, still twitching from the shocks.

"Is that all?" Batman growled, pushing his head closer to the toilet.

As he began to shove the governor back into the toilet, something caught his arm. Batman turned around and saw Superman holding him back.

"What are you doing?" he snarled at him, glaring angrily.

"This has gone on far enough," Connor told him, pulling him away from the passed out governor.

"Superman, what are you doing here?" Kara asked

Connor glared back at Batman and answered, "I could here this man's screams all the way from Metropolis."

"Then what's the problem," Batman said, standing up to face Superman.

"The problem is that this man probably has severe brain damage. Just by looking at him I can tell he might not be able to move his legs again. It's over Batman. I can't allow your vigilantism to go on like this."

Batman was about to punch Superman as hard as he could when Kara jumped in between them.

"Superman please, you have to let him continue for just a bit longer," she begged, trying to stop anyone from getting hurt.

Connor pushed her aside, "give me one good reason."

"The Joker has Jimmy!"

Connor turned towards Kara in shock. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"Because Batman is probably the only one who can save him from the Joker! Superman just let him continue until he saves Jimmy, for me?"

Connor looked over to Batman, who was giving him a cold and unforgiving grimace.

With a sigh, he said, "Fine, but once he finds Jimmy, he better go into retirement for good."

Batman stepped forward and protested, "What makes you…" Kara quickly put her hand over his mouth and nodded to Connor. Superman gave one last threatening glance to Batman and then flew out through the roof.

Kara let go of Batman, who immediately stormed out of the bathroom angrily. He was not going to be bullied by some self-appointed god in red and blue.

When Batman got outside he saw Commissioner Carmen and her rookie Johnson waiting for him.

"Did you get the Joker's location?" she asked, following him out of the taped off crime scene.

"The toy factory," Batman answered, pulling a device out of his belt and clicking the bat shaped button.

The Commissioner nodded and ordered Johnson to gather all GCP forces present to send them back to Gotham for the arrest.

"Are you gonna need a ride?" she asked Batman, noticing his car hadn't arrived yet.

Suddenly, a bright floodlight beamed down on them from the sky. Jenna covered her eyes as she watched a large black aircraft that was hovering over them let down a line. Batman grabbed on and was pulled back up into the ship, giving the Commissioner a quick nod. "I'll see you in Gotham."

0000000000000000000000000000 00

The Batwing jetted towards Gotham at high speed, flying lower to the ground so air traffic wouldn't be disrupted.

"Eve, will you be fine in Trenton," Batman asked over the radio link as he drove the plane.

An image of Eve popped up on the main monitor, "I'll be fine Mr. Wayne, go and finish this. Just, be careful alright?"

Batman nodded, "I'll do my best. Make sure to keep tabs on the factory as I'm arriving. Who knows what defenses the Joker could have set up."

Gotham harbor became visible as Batman approached Gotham, pulling up a bit to avoid the multiple skyscrapers. In about three minutes, he would be over the toy factory. He was going to end the Joker's game, right there and then.

The disgusting smog of the narrows was now in sight, he was now two minutes away. Batman prepared himself for high-speed ejection, setting the Batwing to auto pilot and strapping on an oxygen mask. After he set the plane to eject him once he was over his target, he took a deep breath in preparation. Hopefully he survived being flung out of a jet going this fast.

3… 2… 1…

The cockpit popped open and shot Batman high into the air as the plane flew off. He could feel the bitter cold of the high altitude he was thrown into. As he lost momentum and he began slowing his ascent, Batman let loose his cape. Pulling a string to release the fabric from the pack he had stuffed it in, the cloak shot out and expanded, becoming rigid and taking form.

Batman began a controlled glide towards the main chimney of the factory. He couldn't have gone through any of the doors and windows because multiple armed thugs guarded them. The direct approach would practically be suicide. The smoke stack was the safest route into the place and the factory hadn't been in use for years, so it hopefully wouldn't be burning.

Pulling his cape in some, he dove through the small opening at the top of the chimney. Right before he hit the bottom, though; Batman grabbed the corners of his cape and caught his fall, landing lightly on the soot-covered bottom.

Switching on his infrared vision, he scanned the complex to plan a direction of attack. Right outside the broken furnace he was in were two armed clowns looking out towards what looked like an assembly line.

After making sure no one was around to hear him, Batman burst through the opening and grabbed the two thugs by the head. Before either could utter a word, he slammed their heads together, knocking both of them out.

Batman quickly continued through the factory, using the scanner in his cowl to locate the Joker. While it may have been difficult tracking Joker down, as he didn't have a distinct shape compared to others, tracking the new Harley Quinn down was easy. She was the only woman among all Joker's forces, and wherever she was the Joker was definitely around.

Looking around the rooms and different floors, Batman finally found Quinn in the main office along with one other man. There was a group of struggling people tied to each other, probably the hostages. The Joker and Harley seemed to be watching something on a small television, but what?

Suddenly, Harley's skeleton outline turned around in his direction, put her hands by her head, and stuck her tongue out at him. They knew he was there.

Twenty cheering clowns wielding knives, flaming sticks, and iron pipes burst through all three doors, surrounding Batman. The dark knight grimaced, raising his fists readily. This was not good.

"Hey, it's my BFF! How's it going Bats?" Joker's voice cackled over one of the loudspeakers.

Batman just glared at the green security camera that had no doubt given him away. "Listen here Bats, you came a bit early and we haven't finished up the preparations for the party yet. Do you mind entertaining some of our friends here while Harls and I finish up here?" Joker asked in a mock sympathetic voice.

Batman didn't say a word; he knew a response was all the Joker wanted.

"Riiiight, well give him your best shot boys, and haaave fun! **_HAHAHAHAHAHAAA!_**"

The loudspeaker cut off with a static noise, sounding the beginning of the pre party games. The group slowly moved in on Batman menacingly, the armed psychos smiling happily.

"We're gonna cut you good Batfreak!" a couple of them yelled, pumping their weapons in the air.

Batman activated his suit's combat mode, causing his eyes and emblem to glow an intimidating red. The cowl began picking up and displaying movement from all the thugs, allowing Batman to have complete awareness of everything around him. Clenching his fists, he resumed his fighting stance, challenging any brave soul to even try an attack.

One large thug gathered his nerve and threw the first blow, swinging his lead pipe in an upward arc towards the Batman. The dark knight quickly stepped to the side and caught the pipe in one hand; elbowing the thug in the face with his free arm.

Three more thugs jumped at him, rearing back to swing their bludgeons. As if it was pure instinct, Batman punched one, grabbed the two in front of him by their heads, and slammed them together. As he pushed the two thugs' skulls into each other, he jumped up and kicked backwards, knocking the third to the ground.

Batman continued to duck, punch, and counter; his each of his moves flowing smoothly into the next. He had practically elevated his senses to a new level, becoming aware of every move, every kick, and every swing that each thug was going to take. As the fight continued, Batman practically became a machine, taking out multiple clowns at once.

Four thugs all tried to tackle him, but he quickly dived to the side and jumped off the wall, kneeing one assailant in the jaw with a deafening crack. The numbers of criminals still standing kept dropping as Batman broke legs, arms, and ribs; incapacitating each of them.

After fifteen minutes there were only two left conscious, who quickly dropped their weapons and ran out as fast as humanly possible.

As he began running up towards the main office, he could here sirens gather outside. Batman smiled a bit inside, the Joker was trapped with nowhere to run. It was over for the mad jester.

The Joker's laughter became louder as he got closer his target. "Oh Harley, this is gonna be a good one!"

"Sure is Mistah J!"

When he reached the fifth floor of the factory, he came across a door labeled, "Administrator's Office."

Backing up for a running start, Batman violently burst through the door. Harley squealed in surprise and yelled, "Sweetie, he's here!"

The large chair behind the factory overseer's desk swiveled around, and sitting in it was the Joker, smiling evilly.

"Batman! Too soon, too soon hehe! So many things aren't ready!"

Batman walked straight over to the clown prince of crime and picked him up by his purple suit. "Where are the hostages!"

The Joker laughed, "Yeesh Bats, calm down. The hostages are over there, safe and sound!"

He looked over to the corner and saw a group of eight people tied together. Batman almost sighed in relief when he saw Jimmy among them. Then a horrible realization hit him; the Joker had captured around forty people. Consumed with rage, Batman threw the Joker against the wall and snarled, "What did you do to the rest?"

"What did I, **_HAHAHAHAHAAA!_** What did I do with the rest! What do you think Bat guano!"

Batman charged towards Joker and slammed his fist into the psychopath's gut.

"HooHoo, you pack a big punch there, guy! HARLEY!"

The dark knight turned around just in time to catch the crazed woman swinging a surprisingly large sledgehammer towards him. Batman ducked under the huge hammer and swiped at Harley's legs, tripping her.

When he turned back towards the Joker, he saw that the clown had taken off, leaving his "girlfriend" behind. Batman left Harley lying on the ground and tore after him, not stopping for anything.

The Joker laughed maniacally during the whole chase, sliding down railings and sprinting up stairs. "Catch me if you can Batman!"

Batman stood at the top of the spiral stairwell Joker was running down and just waited for the right moment. When the mad clown was directly beneath him, he jumped down, fist raised high in the air.

The Joker's laughter suddenly stopped and his eyes went wide once he saw the descending shadow. The full weight of Batman landed on top of him, along with the force of a devastating right cross.

"Hehe," the Joker giggled as Batman stood over him with his foot on his chest, "You got me!"

The caped crusader glared with intense hatred at the giggling clown, as he just seemed to laugh off the pain. He had won though; the Joker had been apprehended.

Swat teams stormed the factory right after Batman caught the Ace of Knaves. The dozens of armed forces were shocked to find that most of their work had already been done. The Joker's gang was taken down and the clown himself was pinned under the Batman's boot.

"Officers," Batman said, nodding towards the swat teams, "He's down."

Hundreds of policemen escorted the Joker out of the factory, all with their guns trained on him. No one wanted to take a chance with this guy.

"Jeez, have a little faith! I mean, what's a guy supposed to do with his hands tied behind his back?" the Joker laughed, causing some of the police to take a cautious step back.

The hostages were also being escorted out, along with dozens of unconscious and handcuffed criminals. Batman glared angrily as the eight hostages were taken over to ambulances. The Joker had already killed more then half the hostages, just because he thought it was "fun". At least that madman was going to a cozy cell in Arkham now, where hopefully he would spend the rest of his life.

Commissioner Jenna stood next to him holding a mug of coffee, her breath visible in the cold air.

"It's unfortunate that we couldn't get to him on time, but at least we saved some of them," she said, taking a sip of her drink.

"I could have saved them if I had just been faster."

Jenna shook her head, "You did your best, and we got him. I'd pin a medal on you if I weren't technically supposed to arrest you."

Batman looked at her curiously, "So you aren't going to send the dogs after me?"

"No, with the return of the Joker I've been allowed to give you some leeway. Next time though; the politicians are going to want your head on a platter."

Batman looked out towards the armored car that the Joker was being shoved into. The clown was barely fighting, it seemed as if he didn't even care that he was being arrested. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Make sure to watch him closely," Batman told Commissioner Carmen as he aimed his grappling hook upwards.

"Are you not going with them?"

"I have other things I have to deal with."

Jenna laughed, "Who knew the great Batman had a life outside the cowl? I think I'm going to get some rest too. Thanks for the help."

Batman just nodded and shot the grapple line and zipped up into the sky.

0000000000000000000000000000 000000

Christian smiled as he relaxed on his balcony, overlooking the Wayne estate. He was feeling great about last night. Finally, he had been able to blow the top off the whole Identity/ Joker killings. Now that those two were no longer a problem, Gotham could feel a little safer.

Eve had just returned from Trenton, bringing Kara along with her. He saw their limo pull up in the circle in front of Wayne Manor. Eve stepped out calmly, opening the door for Kara, who jumped out excitedly. Christian smiled to himself; at least Kara could put her worries to rest.

As he walked back inside, he heard their footsteps growing louder. Christian opened the door for the two women, but was beaten to it by Kara, who jumped through and gave him a super powered bear hug.

"You did it! You got him!"

Christian laughed, "Yeah, he's locked away now. I assume you heard Jimmy's name among the hostages who were reported alive?"

"Yes, God I'm so happy," Kara said, sighing in relief.

"He should be coming back to you tomorrow after the police are finished with him," Christian told her.

Eve stepped in the room, bringing in a couple chocolates and some champagne she had gotten in Trenton. "A celebratory gift Mr. Wayne?"

"I'll take the chocolates, but I think it's probably best to hold off on the drinking."

Eve nodded and placed the chocolates on the nightstand. Christian noticed she also placed a couple letters from work next to it, the kind of thing he had stopped dealing with when he became Batman.

"Hey Eve, what are those letters?"

Eve looked back over her shoulder and answered, "Oh, they're just some contracts the board needs you to sign."

Christian then noticed a cursive N on it. Smiling, he nodded towards Eve, "Thank you Eve, that will be all."

Eve walked back downstairs, leaving Kara and Christian to discuss what was on both their minds. Would Christian end his days as Batman?

"I'm going to get this over with," Christian told her, pulling out a piece of chocolate from the box Eve had just left him, "I have no intention of listening to the league's demands."

"Christian, I can't hold them off any longer. Many people are still very uncomfortable with Batman, including our own president."

Christian wondered why the president was the least bit concerned about Batman, "Kara, I don't see how me being Batman affects the president."

"Batman has long been a symbol that has caused civil unrest. You've been back for less then a year, and now people are already putting on masks and trying to take the law into their own hands," Kara answered, "You're inspiring to much distrust, especially after that episode with the governor."

"So? How is what I'm doing any different from what the Justice League does?"

"Because you are someone people can actually relate to! The whole League has super powers, which make it less likely for people who are unequipped to face the underworld to think they can do what we do. We are also an extension of the government now, so unlike you we are legally sanctioned. The people that run this country have nothing to fear from us," Kara explained

There it was again, they were allowed to break laws just because they were sanctioned by an organization.

"But Christian," Kara said in a strangely excited voice, "I have some good news!"

Christian gave her an annoyed look, "Oh?"

"Well, the league has been talking and there's a good chance you might be able to join! That way you can continue fighting a…"

"Absolutely not."

Kara stared at him in disbelief, but he didn't expect her to understand. He wouldn't become the government's personal attack dog.

"But why?" Kara asked, still trying to comprehend why he was turning this offer down.

"I don't believe in what you all stand for. The League used to be about justice and peace, but now you all are just the personal weapons of the U.S.A." Christian answered bitterly

"How are we weapons?"

"Oh really? They throw their super soldiers at me because they feel threatened by the message I'm sending. You know what that message is? It's that you don't have to sit by and let scum take over your society, no matter how powerful they might be. Your message is to obey the demands of your superiors, no matter how wrong or unjust they may be."

Christian stood, glaring at Kara, fists clenched. He was tired of blind the league's blind loyalty to one country. The group was founded upon helping the world as a whole, not settling political disputes.

"Christian, I don't know if you've realized it, but the world hates us if we act as an individual organization," Kara told him angrily

Christian snorted, "We don't need people to like us, we just need to protect the innocent. That's the point of all this, or have you forgotten?"

"What do you want me to do? The world was about to wage war on us!"

"I want you to stand for what you believe! You told me yourself that you believed in what I was doing, that you didn't want to fight me! So don't do it!"

"It's not that simple! I can't just ignore the Justice League and the United States government," Kara yelled

"How is it not? If you go against what you think is truly right, you're not a hero, just an obedient hound!"

Kara bolted from her seat and slapped Christian, knocking him into the dresser. Christian stood up shakily from the now broken furniture and walked back over towards her.

He didn't even acknowledge the red mark on his cheek. Christian just glared at Kara, his decision unwavering. "I am not going to stand by and let criminals run Gotham. Just because the Joker has been arrested doesn't mean Gotham is safe. I know right now Metropolis is a beacon of light, but Gotham is still sick. Maybe a symbol is what people need to hope for a brighter future."

"Fine, stand alone in your crusade," Kara fumed as she stormed out the door.

Before she left, she turned back towards him and said, "You know, I thought bringing you in would help the team go back to the way it was when I was a teen. I thought that maybe you could help bring back the morals and sense of duty to the people that your father had. I guess I was wrong."

Christian turned away as Kara walked out, not daring to give her another glance.

Once she was off his property, Christian opened up the letter from Nick Fox. Inside was a small note that said, "In the cave and ready for use. Good luck Mr. Wayne."

Smiling, Christian called down to Eve, "How does it look?"

Eve peeked around the door and motioned for him to follow her. The two went down to the cave, Christian anxiously anticipating what may be his greatest asset yet. Nick Fury was the best engineer he new, so whatever he made it was probably nothing less then spectacular.

Once down in the cave, Eve pulled out a small button and clicked it, causing part of the cave's wall to rotate around, revealing Christian's newest defense protocol against Meta humans.

"Eve," Christian said in awe

"Yes Mr. Wayne."

"Make sure to send Mr. Fox my thanks."

Christian continued to stare at Fox's gift for a couple more minutes, inspecting it to make sure it had incorporated his requests. When he found it was well beyond his standards, he turned back to Eve.

"This has to stay a secret," Christian told Eve, "They cannot know I have this."

"Don't worry Mr. Wayne, I'm sure that you scared Ms. Kent off for the last time," Eve responded sarcastically, clicking the button again to re conceal the secret weapon.

Christian, deciding he didn't want to get into this with Eve, went back upstairs to get some sleep. It was about two in the morning, and fighting off dozens of thugs was tiring. Eve tailed behind him, determined not to drop the subject.

"Don't you think you were a little harsh Mr. Wayne?"

"I had to get the message across," he answered

"Even so, she is your friend. All she wants is what's best for you Mr. Wayne, as do I."

Christian then realized something; Eve didn't think he could survive a battle with the league. She had been worried this whole time that he would get killed in the battle if the president had commanded it.

"Eve, I'll be fine," he told her, "and hey, if I don't make it, you'll probably get my fortune."

"That isn't funny Mr. Wayne, you have know idea what you're..." Eve suddenly stopped and stared out the window as if she was trying to see something at a distance.

"What is it?" Christian asked her, turning towards the window. When he looked out, he saw a floodlight shining up in the sky into the smog that always covered Gotham. It seemed like a normal light, except for it had what looked like his bat symbol in the middle. It was the bat signal; someone down at the GCPD had turned it on to contact him.

**A/N: Well Christian basically told off Kara, so yeah. Ouch. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hope you all enjoy my new chapter! This is my little tribute to one of my favorite movies of all time, the Dark Knight. Remember to leave a review or a favorite if you really liked it.**

** Jenecide24: I'm glad you're enjoying this story so much! I figured the bat signal might be a good touch.**

** Isaac Clark: Believe me, the constant updates aren't as hard as they seem. I actually have almost finished the next chapter!**

Chapter Twelve: A Killing Joke

Officer Ben Johnson stood on the roof of the GCPD building, shivering from the cold winter air. He waited next to a couple two other officers, Officer James Bullock and Officer Kevin Doyle.

"I told you he ain't coming," Doyle complained after taking a drag from his cigar.

James nodded in agreement, "Yeah, how long we gonna wait out in the cold for this guy?"

"Shut it you two," Johnson barked, "He's coming, just you wait! He won't abandon us now."

Still shivering, Johnson stared hopefully up at the bat signal. They needed the Batman now more then ever.

Ten more minutes passed and there was still no sign of the Bat, and his other two partners were getting even more annoyed.

"I'm heading inside, this is a waste of our time," Bullock grumbled, pouring out his mug of coffee and walking back inside.

Kevin followed promptly, taking one last smoke and then throwing it over the edge of the building.

Johnson sighed and decided it might be best to turn in after all. Just as he was about to switch off the bat signal, he heard a rough voice ask, "What is the issue officer?"

Johnson spun around, a bit startled by the voice, and saw the Batman standing in front of him waiting for an answer.

Johnson grimaced and responded, "We have a really big problem."

Batman nodded, waiting for Johnson to continue his report.

"The Commissioner never made it home after we arrested the Joker, along with one of the hostages."

Batman's eyes went wide, it couldn't be. "What was the hostage's name?" Batman questioned, getting more unsettled by the second.

Johnson looked in the files he had made and answered, "Jimmy Oleson, the guy who runs the Daily Planet. Batman I don't know if you know this, but the Commissioner is one of the only good people with power in Gotham, if we lose her, we might as well stop fighting crime!"

Batman nodded, it was true. Commissioner Jenna Carmen was renowned throughout Gotham as a true defender of justice and a role model to all. Many people's spirits would break if the Joker managed to kill her.

"I need to speak with him," Batman growled, walking inside the police department with Johnson tailing close behind.

"We've set up an interrogation room, but we haven't been able to get anything out of him yet. I think he'll only talk to you."

As Batman walked through the hallways and cubicles of the building, many police stared in disbelief. It wasn't every day when they got to see two legends in the same building together.

Johnson showed Batman downstairs, where a full room was ready with multiple police in the observation room already.

"Just go through this door when you're ready," Johnson told him, walking over to stand with the other cops.

Batman didn't say a word, rather pulled the door open violently and slammed it behind him.

The Joker sat behind a single table, his hands un-cuffed and a huge grin plastered to his face. Seeing the madman so happy made Batman feel sick, and enraged.

Joker pointed to the seat across from him and invited Batman to join him. "Ahhh, there you are! I was beginning to worry you wouldn't show."

Batman sat down in the chair and looked the clown dead in his beady, unfeeling eyes. "What have you done with them?"

"Tsk, tsk Batman," Joker giggled, "it's too soon for those questions. I feel as if you should at least soften me up before I spill the beans."

Batman grabbed Joker's head and slammed it against the table, "That soft enough?"

"Hehehehehe, tell me Batman, is it frustrating trying to do so much good and being so under appreciated by the authorities?"

Batman glared angrily at him; of course the Joker knew he had an instable relation with the government.

"No answer? Well that's fine, pleasing the people in charge never was what it was about. You never were like the other idiots in tights."

"What do you mean?"

The Joker laughed, "C'mon Bats! Those idiots blindly follow those with power and money along with the rest of society. It's one of the biggest jokes of all! But you and I, we know the truth. We see what the others can't, only in a little differently."

"You and I are nothing alike," Batman snarled, standing from the chair, looming over the psychotic clown.

"That's not how they see it," the Joker chuckled, "to them we're just riots, civil unrest, and other disastrous things waiting to happen. They think we're crazy, but we see things more clearly then ever."

"You're a murdering psychopath who thinks death is funny. You are completely insane."

"**_HAHAHAHAHAA!_** You know what's funny? The fact that you've convinced yourself that you aren't just as crazy as I am! That everybody isn't as crazy as I am! No, I've seen you try and kid yourself, spending time with that lovely blonde in white and red."

Batman's glare intensified ten folds, giving the Joker all he needed to continue.

"Hoohoo, I'm right aren't I! You do have a thing for the woman of steel! Well let me tell you something, that's exactly why dear Jimmy is so important to my party, my party to show my love for you! I'm sure once everyone's there you can tell him about your little affair wi…"

At that moment, Batman lost it. Lunging across the table, he picked up the Joker and threw him across the room into the wall.

"He's losing control, someone get in there!" Johnson ordered the other cops

Before they could reach the door, Batman put his chair up against it, blocking their only entrance. He then turned back towards the Joker, seething with unmitigated fury.

The Joker sat up and stretched casually, "Ohohohoo, did I hit a raw nerve there?"

Batman grabbed him by the head and slammed it against the window, causing it to crack loudly, and then picked him up by his collar.

The Joker merely cackled maniacally, as if he didn't even feel the hit. "Hehehe, there it is! Your fiery temper that only I can bring out!"

"Where are they?!"

"I bet right when I came into the picture, nothing else mattered, everyone else was just an obstacle!"

"TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE!"

"You know I have to thank you," Joker laughed, totally ignoring the question, "If you hadn't come back I would have lost my purpose!"

Batman through the clown into the wall again, catching him by the neck before he could even hit the ground. Again, the Joker merely smiled and giggled off the pain. "The way I see it, we're not even human, rather two entities destine to do this dance forever! We're closer partners then you and the flying blonde!"

"There is NOTHING I hate more then you," Batman snarled

The Joker let loose another choked laugh, causing Batman slam him onto the table as hard as he could.

"This game won't go on a second longer!" Batman growled, bringing his fist down into the Joker's stomach.

"Oof," the Joker wheezed happily, "That'll take something we both know you have the balls to do!"

"I'm seriously considering it," Batman snarled as he brought Joker up to eyelevel.

"Hehe, then do it! You don't have much time though, Jimbo probably isn't doing to well right now, Hahahaha!"

The dark knight drove the clowns head in the window again, putting an even larger crack in it. The Joker fell to the floor near the wall, but Batman wasn't done. He began punching the Joker mercilessly, yelling, "WHAT DID YOU DO! WHERE ARE THEY!"

The Joker kept laughing, "You have NOTHING! You can beat me and kick me, but in the end you can't finish it!"

Batman's frustration grew as he picked Joker up, kneed him in the ribs and followed up with a powerful kick to the side of the clown's head. The Joker continued to just take the beating, laughing every hit off just to spite him.

"You have nothing to threaten me with! Nothing to do with all your strength!"

_WHAP!_

"Nothing!"

_WHAP!_

"Hehehehe…"

_WHAP!_

"**_HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAAHAAAHAAHA AAHAAAAA!_**"

Batman pulled his fist back, about to punch the Joker's teeth in, "WHERE ARE THEY?!"

"Hehehehe…"

His fist went flying towards the Joker's face when the clown suddenly said, "Alright, alright I'll talk! You've earned it."  
Batman picked him up by the collar again and forced him against the wall, pressing the edges of his gauntlet against his throat. With a terrifying glare, Batman signaled the Joker to start talking. The Joker choked out another laugh, coughing up a bit of blood, and then answered.

"Jimmy's a real player in this party, along with your dear Commissioner, apple of the public's eye. They're both preparing for their roles for your party great Bat King. Now, unfortunately I'm down an invite, so you're going to have to choose which is allowed to attend your royal banquet. The lady is at 4355 Monument and the gentleman is at 6578 Marvin Avenue. Better hurry though, they're dying to get an answer **_HAHAHAAAHAAAAHAAHAAAHAAAHAAH AHAAHAAAHAHAAAA!"_**

Batman threw the Joker down and stormed out of the room, kicking the chair that blocked the door aside. What was he supposed to do? He had to put one in the hands of the police and save one himself. But whom would he save? He knew that whomever he went after, the other had a significantly smaller chance of survival. The Commissioner was arguably his best ally and the most reliable hope Gotham had of ridding itself of crime, but he had promised to save Jimmy. He couldn't break his promise to Kara.

"Which one are you going for," Johnson asked, running outside with Batman along with dozens of officers.

"Jimmy," Batman answered, clicking a button on his utility belt. The Batmobile swerved out of an ally, opening up the cockpit. Batman jumped in and slammed on the accelerator, shooting off into the streets.

"We're getting the Commissioner!" Johnson yelled to the other cops while he started up one of the police cars, "I want all on duty officers to get everyone they can off the road!"

0000000000000000000000000000 0

Batman weaved in between traffic, trying to get to Jimmy as fast as he could. He wasn't at all worried that the address was a fake, that wasn't how the Joker operated. For whatever reason, the Joker wanted him to get to Jimmy. It was most likely a trap, but he had no other choice.

As he sped across Gotham, he yelled into the intercom, "Eve, connect me to Kara immediately!"

"Of course Mr. Wayne,"

The sound of the phone beeping started up while he waited for Kara to pick up the phone. He was going to need her to get to Jimmy, seeing as she could get there faster then he could.

"Hello?" Kara answered, her voice told him that she was obviously still over what happened.

Batman immediately told her, "Kara this is Christian, I need you…"

"Christian, I don't think you should call anymore. I'm leaving for Metropolis tomorrow."

Batman gripped the steering wheel tightly in frustration, "Kara you have to listen!"

"No you listen," Kara yelled, "I'm tired of you being so cold and unfeeling! If you want to be a heartless bastard, that's fine, but I don't want anything to do with it!"

"Kara!"

Before he could get another word in, she hung up on him. Gritting his teeth, Batman amped up his speed. Streetlights and pedestrians became blurs as he sped past them, dodging traffic expertly. He knew even if Kara hated him, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he let Jimmy die.

"Mr. Wayne, you're coming up to your stop," Eve told him calmly

Batman arrived at the warehouse on Marvin and stopped the batmaboile to a screeching halt. Jumping out, he ran as fast as he could towards the enterance.

Using the blades on his gauntlets to break the lock, he kicked the door down and found Jimmy tied up next to dozens of barrels of petroleum and nitroglicerate.

When Jimmy saw the dark knight, his eyes went wide in fear, "No! No Batman you have to go!"

Ignoring him, Batman tore off Jimmy's restraints and picked him up. Jimmy struggled and yelled, trying to get back inside. As much as he struggled though, Batman was much too strong.

"Batman you have to leave me!"

The Joker had probably poisnoned him with something that's making him delirious, Batman thought, hauling him outside.

Right when the two were outside, the building erupted in flames. Batman used his cape to protect himself and Jimmy from the fire so they wouldn't get burned from the blow out.

After they got to a safe distance, Batman stood up and put his hand to his cowl. "Officer Johnson, have you gotten the commissioner?"

After a couple seconds, Johnson answered, "Yeah, we got her… Thank God."

"Good, I'll be bringing Oleson back to the…"

He was cut off by the sound of a horrible agonized scream. Whirling around, Batman saw Jimmy rolling around on the ground, griping in pain.

"AHHHH!" he screamed, as he curled up tightly

His heart beating a mile a minute, Batman stooped down over Jimmy and tried to see what was the matter. Fumbling for the medical kit, he called Eve up on his comm. link and asked "Oracle, what's happening? What type of poison is this?"

"I don't know, I've never seen anything like it before!" Eve answered, pulling up medical files as she watched the feed through the cowl.

Batman tried to turn Jimmy over to see his face, but his struggling was growing stronger. When he finally got a look at Jimmy's face, Batman saw his eyes were bright green.

"No…" Batman said, backing up as quickly as he could.

"Hello? Can you hear me bats?"

Batman's eyes narrowed as he heard the Joker's voice come from Jimmy's flailing body. The fact that Joker was able to send this message meant that he had escaped from police custody. Batman snarled in frustration, how could he have left the clown alone like that!

"Well, I'm just going to assume you can," Joker's voice continued, "You see Jimmy here wasn't quite ready so I gave him a makeover! I think you'll really like it, he's a new man…"

Jimmy's muscles began to bulge out of his suit as his screams slowly transformed into roars and other animal-like noises. Suddenly, bones began bursting from Jimmy's elbows, skull, and back. Jimmy's coat ripped as he continued to grow, his biceps becoming un naturally huge. The roars became louder and more angry as Jimmy began to stand, slowly but surely gaining his balance. Batman knew exactly what Joker had done; he had given Jimmy Titan.

"**_HAHAHAAAHAAHAHAAAAHAAAHAAA,_**" cackled the Joker as the thing that was once Jimmy began to stand up and turn towards him.

"Jimmy, you have to control it!" Batman yelled readying himself for the fight.

When he saw Jimmy fully transformed, his heart dropped. There was a large scar going across his chest, from where the Joker's voice came from. "Sorry Bats, he's not home right now, but i'm sure you can leave a message…"

Jimmy roared with anger and charged towards Batman at full speed. Batman dived to the side and then jumped towards Jimmy, giving a powerful kick in the jaw.

Jimmy stumbled back, snarling and gnashing his teeth, but not even close to being down.

"Jimmy, you have to listen to me! Do it for Kara!"

The monster responded by swiping at the dark knight with his large claws. Batman back flipped out of his range, throwing a couple batarangs as he did. The small bat shaped projectiles merely bounced off Jimmy's rock hard skin as he charged towards him.

Batman slid under the titan's legs and shot his batclaw, catching him on the chin. Once he was behind Jimmy, he yanked as hard as he could, pulling him to the ground.

"Jimmy try and fight it!"

The monster got up and slammed the ground where Batman was. He kept dodging and landing hits, but no matter what Jimmy kept tanking.

Batman jumped up and landed three punches on the mutant, then kicked off its chest. Before Batman could land, though; Jimmy grabbed him by thee leg and pulled him towards him. Holding him by his torso now, Jimmy roared in anger as he began crushing the life out of Batman.

"Jimmy…" he managed to cough out as the air was squeezed out of him.

Jimmy still was still unable to break free from the fury of the Titan formula. He snarled and continued to tighten his grip. Batman could feel his ribs cracking as his vision became spotty.

"Jimmy… if you're still in there somewhere…"

Batman could barely feel his chest now as he struggled to break free.

"If you're in there somewhere… I'm sorry…"

Pulling out a large knife from his belt, he stabbed it into Jimmy's hand, causing him to loosen his grip. Batman shot a grapple line around his neck and swung behind the titan, finding footing on his shoulder.

Jimmy struggled and swung as Batman kept the line around the monster's neck as tight as he could. As he held on, Batman pulled out a strangely shaped batarang and through it on Jimmy.

A screeching sound started from the front of the burning warehouse, followed by the sound of breaking concrete. Batman took a deep breath to prepare himself for what was about to happen.

Suddenly, the batmobile burst from the flaming remains of the warehouse and shot straight towards them. Batman jumped off Jimmy's shoulders right before the car collided with him, driving him into the side of the nearest building.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw the thing that Jimmy had turned into wrapped around his bumper and unconscious.

"Woah, that was unexpected," the Joker giggled

"Joker, you've gone too far this time," Batman growled, holding his injured arm.

"Hehehe," the Joker laughed, "that wasn't me going too far. THIS is me going to far! **_HAHAHAAAAHAAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAAA HAAHAA!_**"

A small beeping noise began to sound as the Joker finished laughing. Batman frantically looked around for the source. He then realized where the beeping was coming from. Eyes wide, Batman turned towards Jimmy and saw a flashing red light glowing from within his chest.

"NO!"

Batman was about to jump towards Jimmy, but he was too late. The explosive device went off from inside him, the sheer force knocking Batman several feet away.

"JIMMY!"

His heart racing, he ran over towards the crumbled building and began throwing away stones and scraps of metal, trying to save his already dead friend.

"Jimmy, Jimmy no! Jimmy please you can't be…"

After throwing away a especially large chunk of cement, Batman stared in disbelief at the blood and torn flesh that covered everything.

"No…"

Batman dropped to his knees in front of what remained of his friend. He had to hold off the urge to throw up, the scene was so grizzly. As he knelt silently, he squinted his eyes. Even though they ached from the stress, he continued to hold back tears. He wouldn't cry ever again. He had to stay strong.

"Batman, what happened?" Johnson called over the radio, "We've been trying to contact you, is everything all right?"

Batman gritted his teeth and responded, "We have one casualty. James Oleson is… is dead."

"We're coming over right now!"

"No, Joker might be loose down at the GCPD building. You have to get back there!"

Johnson took a heavy breath, "We already got the report; the clown got out of the box. His crazy bitch came back for him along with twelve other armed thugs; the men left at the building didn't stand a chance. That's not the worse part though; he stole a file with every cop's name and address. He knows where we all live!"

Batman punched the wall angrily, the Joker wanted to be caught! He knew exactly what to do, and knew that Jimmy was connected to him. The Joker didn't even know how close they were and still that mad clown murdered him. It was true, everything and everyone Batman touched died.

A golden gleam caught his eye as he took one last look at the rubble. When he picked it up and took a closer look, he saw it was a ring. Inside it was engraved, "to Kara, the love of my life"

Clenching it in his fist, Batman closed his eyes. The Joker was going to pay.

0000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000

Crowds of people stood outside the Gotham Cathedral, all coming to morn the loss of James Oleson. Dark clouds shrouded the skies, covering the sun from view. Superheroes and media giants all gathered together inside the church, dressed in black.

Kara sat next to Conner and M'gann, crying into her cousin's shoulder. Louis and Clark were behind them, holding each other tight. They had known Jimmy ever since he was a teenager taking pictures at Louis' side.

"I never thought this would happen," Clark lamented, "I always thought I'd be here to protect him. He was like a son to me…"

"We all cared for him Clark. I just can't believe he's gone," Louis said, leaning her head on Clark's chest.

"I shouldn't have brought him to Gotham," Kara cried, "I shouldn't have let him get sucked into this!"

"No, no it's alright Kara. This was the Joker's fault, and his alone," Conner reassured her, stroking her blonde hair.

M'gann began tearing up as well, "Kara I am so sorry for your loss. I know how much he meant to you."

Suddenly, the door closed loudly, causing everyone to turn their heads towards the noise. In walked Eve, dressed in black, holding a dark umbrella. Silently, she took her seat next to Louis, who was confused as to why all her family and friends were staring at her.

"Where is he," Kara asked her angrily through her tears

Eve merely took out a cloth and dabbed her eyes. Staying silent, she continued looking at her feet, ignoring the glares from the justice league and others close to the newly departed.

"You heard me Eve, where is he!" Kara pressed as Conner held her back.

"He does not handle loss well," Kara finally answered, then dropped back into silence.

"So he doesn't even have the nerve to show up at his friend's funeral!"

Eve shook her head and continued her silence. She wasn't here to fight; she was here to honor a friend whose life was taken from him at its prime.

"WHY?"

Clark finally intervened, putting a hand on Kara's shoulder and comforting her. "Kara, you have to calm down. Please, we should honor his memory…"

Kara began sobbing again, falling back into her seat. Eve again had to wipe away her tears, for both Jimmy and Christian.

The sermon began with some words from the people who knew Jimmy in his life. Louis Lane spoke first since she had known Jimmy the longest, other then his own family.

"Ever since I met James Oleson, I knew he was something special. He stuck with me through thick and thing, even if I was quite a handful. Jimmy was like a second son to me. I can't even express how sorry I am to see his fate. In life and in death, Jimmy was and will always be a precious friend and a valued member of my family."

As people continued to speak, Eve continued to worry. She remembered the horrible state Christian was in after that night.

-FLASHBACK-

Eve walked down to the batcave with a platter of food. It was the morning after Jimmy's death, and Christian had not spoken a single word. She found him sitting in his chair looking down at his cowl. As he held the cowl in the lap, it was as if he didn't notice anything else around him,

"Mr. Wayne…" Eve said, putting the food on a table next to him.

Christian didn't respond at all, rather just continued to stare at his cowl.

"Mr. Wayne, I have your breakfast," she tried again quietly

Again, Christian said nothing.

"I'll ask later," Eve told him, picking up the platter and turning away.

"Eve, what have I done?"

Eve turned back around and saw him looking at her with his broken and glassy eyes. "Sir?"

"Did I kill him?"

"No, no," Eve answered reassuringly, "Mr. Wayne this isn't your fault."

Christian almost let out a sob, "He was going to propose to her Eve. Did I ruin her only chance for happiness?"

"Christian, Gotham needs you. Gotham needs a Batman. I believe in your cause, Jimmy believed in your cause," Eve told him, pouring some water into one of the glasses she had set out for him.

"He did, and look what happened. I broke my promise to Kara. He was the only man she loved, and I let that murdering psychopath blow him to hell."

As she handed him the glass of water and took the cowl off his lap, Eve said, "Yes, and you lost him. So, for now, she will have to make due with you."

"But why him? Why Jimmy?"

"I don't know Mr. Wayne, but what I do know is that the night is darkest just before the dawn. There will come a day when Gotham no longer needs to hide in the shadows, but until that day comes, you're its only hope."

Christian sat in his chair and thought on what Eve had told him. One thing was for sure; Jimmy's death would not be in vain. He was going to find the clown break every bone he had with his bare hands. He would make the Joker beg for mercy, feel the fear he made others feel.

-AFTER THE FUNERAL-

Night had just come over Gotham as the city fell silent with fear. Everyone locked their doors, boarded their windows, and hoped that morning would come.

Kara stared out the window of her hotel, taking one last look at Gotham before she left. There was nothing left here for her but painful memories.

As she tucked herself in bed, she thought she heard something from outside. Kara was too upset to care though; nothing much mattered in fact. Only moments after closing her eyes, did she drift into a deep sleep.

Batman snuck in through the window once she had fallen asleep and stood next to her bed, looking down on her. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but he knew she would never allow it. After not attending Jimmy's funeral and what had happened before between them, it was safe to see she never wanted to see him again.

Before he left, Batman pulled the small gold ring out of his pocket and put it on the nightstand next to her. He stared at it guiltily, it would have meant a new life for her.

Batman then turned towards her and watched her sleep. She looked like an angel frozen in time. Her eyes were still red from all her tears, the tears Batman knew he had caused.

"I'm sorry Kara," he told her silently, moving a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

With that, Batman walked quietly towards the window and jumped out, gliding away from Kara's room.

When Kara woke up the next morning, she saw the ring next to her bed. She read the engraving on the inside, and then began to cry once again. Nothing would ever be the same.

**A/N: Classic Joker, F'ing everything up for everyone. I hope you all liked the chapter, remember to leave a review or a favorite if you really liked it!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Here's the 13th chapter of my story, I hope you wall enjoy! This one is pretty action packed. Remember to leave a review or a favorite if you really liked it.**

** Jenicide24: I always respond to my reviewers (the ones who have usernames that I can use at least!) As for the Joker and Harley Quinn (the new one that is) I may elaborate a bit more on their origin later ;)**

** IsaacClark: I'm glad you liked my tragic chapter. I was hoping for that kind of reaction. Enjoy this next one!**

Chapter Thirteen: To War

Eve worked silently in the living room organizing the bookshelf. She knew she would never be able to get it done, for some reason that shelf always seemed to undo all her hard work within a matter of days. Something about putting everything back where it should be, even if only for a little bit, calmed her.

It had been three days since the funeral, and Christian had not left the bat cave since. All he did was watch the monitors, waiting for the Joker to turn up again, waiting for a chance for revenge.

As she moved one of the dictionaries to its proper spot, a small book fell out. Picking it up, she took a look inside and saw it was a small photo album. Inside were pictures of a little boy, his blonde haired mother, and a dark haired man that did not look too different from Christian himself.

She soon realized that this was an album of Bruce and his parents before the horrible incident at crime ally. It seemed as if this family was cursed with tragedy.

Eve continued flipping through the pages, smiling at how happy Bruce was as a kid. In the time that she knew him, she only saw him happy when he was with Christian and Sarah. As she was reminiscing, she suddenly heard a large explosion at the door.

Eve dropped the book and ran over to find out what had happened, bringing the pistol she always kept in her purse with her. When she got to the commotion, she dropped the pistol, seeing as it would be of no use to her.

"Where is he," Superman asked, glaring angrily at her

Eve cleared her throat and told him, "I'm sorry Mr. Kent, but Christian is not taking visitors right now."

"Have you ever thought that this is all his fault? That the Batman's presence brings out criminals like the Joker?" Conner spat, pushing past her towards the bat cave.

"Of course I've thought that, but do you honestly believe that the Joker will just stop if Batman does?"

"There's a good chance," Conner answered, ripping the grandfather clock from its hinges and floating down into the cave.

Eve put herself in front of him one last time. "Mr. Kent if you think Christian isn't killing himself over this then you are completely mistaken. There is no one, not even Kara, who is taking this harder then he is. He hasn't eaten, hasn't slept, and hasn't stopped staring at that damn computer screen for two days now!"

"No, no more excuses!" Conner yelled, breaking down the metal doors that protected Christian's sanctuary, "His time is up! People have been rioting, taking the law into their own hands, and believing they all know what's best for everyone else! This is how nations fall Evelyn, and I will not tolerate it!"

Superman floated over towards the computer where Christian was sitting at. The screens flashed with replaying images of his fight with Jimmy. Conner glared and turned the chair around forcefully, and almost stumbled back when he saw what was sitting in front of him. Instead of Christian, Batman was glaring coldly at him, as if waiting for an explanation as to why Conner was in the cave.

"It's over Wayne, give up the cowl," Conner told him, holding his hand out expectantly.

"What gives you the right to tell me that?"

Conner glared and pushed his hand out further, "The fact that I'm a government agent working for the country you take residence in."

"No."

Superman pulled his hand back angrily and slammed his fist down on one of the tables, "Christian I don't want to fight you! Just give it up!"

"No Conner, I am not going to give it up."

"Do you like being thought of as a criminal? Do you like causing civil unrest?"

Batman stood up to get eye level with Superman, "I am going to continue to hunt for this man, no matter what. I will not allow Gotham to live in fear."

"At what cost? Already you've pushed away everyone who cares about you, now all you have left is Eve and this cave!" Superman growled, not backing down from Batman's intense look.

"Good, I prefer to work alone."

"You have till midnight to turn your mask in to the League," Superman demanded, "We will be at the old district in the narrows, the one scheduled for destruction. If you don't turn yourself in there, we will find you and do what's necessary."

Batman sneered, "Why not finish it right now, go on!"

Eve gasped, backing away in horror.

Conner seemed a bit surprised by the offer, but would not let Batman bate him.

"Go on!" Batman pulled his protective cowl off and threw it to the ground, "Do it! Finish me! Follow your orders!"

"Batman I'm not going to…"

"DO IT! I CHALLENGE YOUR LOYALTY, DO IT!"

Superman's eyes began to glow red, but then returned to their normal color. Clark had taught him to give people chances, and he was not going to take back the last one he gave Christian.

"You don't even have the nerve to follow what you've told yourself is right," Batman then said, picking his cowl up and putting it back on, "How can you defend the innocent under the control of men who don't have their interests in mind?"

"Midnight Batman, you've got till midnight," Conner told him, flying out of the cave.

"I'll be looking forward to it."

Batman and Eve waited until Conner left the mansion, and then activated the sound proof walls. Lead lining covered the walls and holes of the cave, making it so that Superman couldn't hear or see them.

Batman grabbed the small switch Eve had made and clicked the button, rotating the part of the wall that hid his secret weapon.

"Sir, if I may add my opinion, it may be beneficial just to stop this," Eve told him as Batman prepared it for use.

"No Eve, I've got to send a message," Batman said

"Mr. Wayne, you haven't even finished recovering from your fight against the Titan, you can't relay on a walking hospital bed to fight off the whole Justice League!"

Batman started a computer diagnostic on the machine, making sure it was ready for battle. "I'll just have to fight harder."

Eve stomped her foot in frustration, "Mr. Wayne you aren't thinking straight! Please, are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"I guess so."

"If suicide is your ultimate goal, then go right ahead! Some of us would like to see you live past at least fifty!"

Batman turned towards her, his cowl covering his glassy eyes, "I don't intend to die by their hands Eve, but I do intend to show them that they've strayed from the path of justice. If a mere man beating them is what it's going to take, then I'm willing to take the risk."

Eve sighed, "What would you like me to do Mr. Wayne?"

"I need you to grab some of the last minute additions I've prepared. They should be on the table over by the cycle."

Eve walked over and saw the small cylindrical object. She picked it up and turned it around in her hands, examining it. When she took a closer look, she found it was a sort of aerosol container made from lead.

"Mr. Wayne, will this?"

"No," Batman answered, taking it from her hands, "It won't."

Plugging it into the machine, Batman stepped back to admire his finished work. This would surely hold up long enough for what he needed it for.

"Eve, you may want to stay down here tonight. Depending on how this goes, my secret may become public. If it does, I have a new identity set up for you along with a separate bank account that can't be traced back to me. If something happens, I want you to escape and use the money in that account to live the rest of your life peacefully. Don't come back to Gotham though, for if it comes to that there will most certainly be nothing left for you."

Eve nodded, but knew in the back of her head that she could never leave Gotham, even if it did become worse then before. She had grown up in the city, and she didn't intend to ever give up on it.

"Mr. Wayne, be careful."

Batman gave her an out of character smile, "Don't worry about me."

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The Justice league stood out in the cold night, waiting for the Batman's resignation. It was 11:50 now, and he still hadn't shown up. None of them expected him to show though; they all knew what it would come to.

"We aren't actually gonna fight him, right?" the Flash asked Superman

"We will if we have to. If we want to continue protecting people and stay together as the league, we have to."

"Yeah but the Joker is still on the loose," Flash said, kicking aside a small pebble impatiently.

"We will deal with the clown after we have dealt with Batman," Superman told him in an annoyed tone of voice, "M'gann, any sign of him?"

"No, I can't get a reading on his mind anywhere," she answered, holding her fingers to her temples, her eyes glowing bright yellow.

Kara bit her lip nervously, gripping the gold ring in her palm. She couldn't stop it anymore, the Batman had to be stopped, even if it meant hurting Christian. It was because of him that these criminals were coming back.

Cassie put her hand on Kara's shoulder reassuringly, "It'll be alright Superwoman; we can make him see reason. I'm sure of it."

"You don't know Christian like I do," Kara responded, "He isn't going to listen to us."

"If he doesn't then what happens is his fault," Green Lantern said with his fists clenched tightly, "He's angered too many people, and his blatant ignorance for the law has gone on for long enough. You saw what he did to the governor."

They all remembered. The corrupt governor had been in a coma for a week. Doctors said he was going to survive, but that his head was severely damaged. Even if he was a criminal, a practical lobotomy was too far.

Superman looked intensely outward with his x-ray vision, trying to find Batman. He had five minutes left, and then the league went actively after him. No more second chances this time.

"Lawrence, have all the civilians been cleared out," Superman asked Green Lantern, who was flying higher up to scan the city.

"Yes, but not many people have ever lived here. This place WAS charted for demolition anyways."

"What are we going to do with him once he's defeated," Wonder Woman asked, "We can't just unmask him in front of the entire populace. It'll be signing his death warrant."

"We'll figure it out once we get there. Let's just cross one bridge at a time," Superman answered.

The group then continued to wait silently; it was two minutes until midnight. Batman was running out of time.

As Kara waited, she suddenly heard a noise, it sounded like heavy footsteps.

"I think he's here," she told everyone, pointing towards the small apartment where the noise was coming from.

The Justice League turned towards the apartment and readied themselves. The noise of metal hitting stone grew louder, along with a robotic sound. Kara knew he was coming, but she wasn't prepared for what he was coming in.

A black flash shot out from the roof and landed heavily in front of them with a **_thud_**.

As dust cleared from the impact, they saw what looked like Batman standing in front of them.

"Christian," Kara gasped in disbelief, how had he been able to hide this from them the whole time?

Batman was in a large mech suit, armed to the teeth with missiles, batarang launchers, and other various weaponry. The technology on the suit was stunning to say the least, it was completely lined with lead so that Kara couldn't see anything that wasn't externally visible. She had no idea what else he was armed with.

He raised his fists readily, "If you want the mask, you'll have to pry it from my cold dead face."

"Christian, don't do this," Kara told him, her voice filled with concern.

"I think it's a bit too late for reasoning."

"Fine," Superman said, "M'gann, subdue him!"

M'gann nodded and flew towards Batman, becoming transparent for a mental attack. Batman pulled his fist back, the suit covering it with a sort of blue electric energy, and let a powerful punch loose straight towards her.

Everyone was completely shocked when the hit landed perfectly, catching M'gann right across the face and knocking her back through three buildings.

"M'gann!" the Flash yelled, turning angrily towards Batman, "I didn't want to do this, but you give me no choice!"

The Flash streaked towards him at lightning speed, running around him to keep Batman guessing where the next punch would come from.

"Computer, activate speed reaction sensors," Batman growled, looking through his the visor of his armored helmet. A red crosshair appeared on the cowls visor, keeping track of where the Flash was coming from and at what speed. Batman readied himself for the signal, which was soon given off. A red exclamation point appeared on his visor, telling him now was the time to react. Batman threw a cross right where the cowl told him to, hitting the Flash with perfect timing. The scarlet speedster was knocked down, sliding several feet before standing up shakily.

"How the hell did he do that?"

"Super speed camera," Batman answered, tapping his helmet, "it helps me keep track of your movements and time a perfect reaction."

Superman flew at Batman, tackling him back several feet. Before Superman could follow up with another hit, Batman blocked, grabbing his fist and using his suit's enhanced strength to hold the half kryptonian back.

"My orders are to subdue you by any means necessary, don't make this harder on yourself!"

Batman gritted his teeth angrily, "Your orders?!"

With a powerful kick, Batman sent Superman flying backwards into the side of a building.

"You claim to be doing this under some sort of authority! They're only telling you to do this because I've embarrassed them! I've done what they can't!"

The rest of the league charged towards him all at once, including M'gann who had somewhat recovered from the powerful punch.

Batman pointed his wrist launcher towards Wonder Woman and shot out a batarang, which flew towards her at an alarmingly fast speed. Cassie knocked the projectile aside with the braces on her wrists, "Batman, please listen to reason! This isn't your decision!"

"Are you all so blind that you can't even see what's going on around you," Batman growled

"Cassie, look out!" Superman yelled, trying to warn his girlfriend of the oncoming danger.

Before Cassie could turn around though, the batarang she thought she had deflected arced back around and hit her in the back, exploding on impact. The force of the explosion knocked Cassie into one of the apartment complexes, causing the building to crumble on top of her.

"You'll pay for that tin man!" Green Lantern shouted, forming a large green sword and slamming it down on Batman.

Before the sword could hurt him, Batman caught it between the edges on his gauntlet. Mustering his strength, he held up the giant blade in between his armored forearms.

"You are all super soldiers! You no longer fight for the people, but the select few who rule!" Batman growled as his suit's super strength allowed him to keep the sword up.

The blades on Batman's gauntlets began to glow green as they spun like the teeth of a chainsaw. The armored dark knight began to cut the sword in half, until finally the whole green blade broke off. Grabbing the solid energy, Batman threw it into Green Lantern, who only barely managed to block on time.

M'gann flew at Batman and tried to swing at him, but was soon beaten and overpowered by his superior strength and technique.

"Christian you are only human, you cannot fight all of us at once," she coughed as Batman grabbed her by the neck and torso, holding her over him.

"I'm not just human," Batman answered as he slammed M'gann into his knee with extreme force, "I'm an idea, a belief!"

Suddenly, a lasso wrapped around Batman, holding his arms at his side. As he struggled, Wonder Woman flew around him with a grim look on her face.

"Give up now Batman," She told him, "Before I actually decide to get back at you for that last hit."

"Never," growled Batman, grabbing the lasso with his hand and yanking Wonder Woman towards him.

With a swift roundhouse kick to the side of her head, he sent Wonder Woman flying into Superman. A warning appeared on his screen, indicating the Flash was about to strike. He waited for the perfect timing again, it had to be so perfect that even the fastest man alive wouldn't have time to react.

Using his thrusters, Batman jumped high in the air, dodging the Flash's attack. Batman shot out a batarang at Flash before he could turn around, which exploded and covered the Flash's bottom portion in a strange goo.

As he tried to vibrate out of it, the goo just thrashed him around and banged him against the sidewalk. "What the hell is this stuff?"

"It's a synthesized gel that absorbs any attempts you make to vibrate your way out of it. I'd just stay put if I were you."

The Flash didn't heed his warning though. Wally began vibrating as fast as he could, moving to the very edge of the gel. Before he could escape though, the slime threw him backwards into a car, breaking one of his legs.

"Wally!" called Green Lantern angrily

Using his ring, he picked up two cars and sent them flying towards Batman. Batman grabbed each of the cars, the metal crumpling to his powerful grip. Using the Lantern's own momentum, he threw the cars into the green warrior, knocking him out of the sky.

Batman watched as Lantern fell out of the sky, landing in a cloud of dust.

Suddenly, before Batman could react, a huge force rammed into him; knocking him several yards back. When he turned to see who it was, he saw Kara with her fists clenched, breathing heavily. He wasn't going to hold back though, not even for her.

Batman used his thrusters to charge towards him, matching her massive power and speed. The two collided with a boom, pushing against each other's fists, each trying to overpower the other.

"Submit Christian, I don't want to hurt you but I will if you force me," growled Superwoman as she continued to push against the dark knight.

"You never did understand, did you," answered Batman

Batman pulled Kara towards him and kneed the woman of steel in the ribs with a large CRACK, sending her flying upwards. Superwoman shook off the hit and flew back down towards him, knocking him through three buildings before she began to let loose a barrage of punches.

Batman went on the defensive, blocking every punch expertly. Kara may have him beat in physical strength, but his skill was far superior.

When he saw an opening, he took it, punching her in the ribs and sending her flying backwards into a large parked truck. He was not going to back down just because he may have loved her at one point in his dismal life. This was beyond just her now.

"None of you ever understood the real reason for all this!"

Superman followed Kara's attack, taking powerful swings at Batman. The armored knight jumped backwards past each punch, making sure not one could doom his efforts.

"Look at what you've done," Conner yelled, "You've injured more then half of my team!"

"I warned you that I wouldn't back down," Batman said, grabbing Superman's arm, "and I don't intend to bend the knee to anyone, especially those who use their God like powers to settle things as petty as politics!"

A powerful surge of electricity went through Batman's gloves, shocking Superman with 478 mega watts of power. Batman gritted his teeth as the electricity singed the exposed part of his face, but he was determined not to let Superman go. He gripped the man of steel with all his might; his anger and rage consuming him.

"This is about how quickly you've thrown your morals away to please others, how you've all forgotten why we fight!"

Kara saw Batman electrocuting Superman and immediately sprang into action, charging at Batman as fast as she could. With devastating punch, Kara hit Batman on the side of his head. Batman spiraled back several feet and landed in a wall, his armored helm cracked in multiple places.

Kara flew over to him and ripped him out of the rubble, holding him up by the neck. He felt the metal guarding his neck being crushed by her powerful hand, his energy being choked out of him.

"Batman, please! Do you want me to kill you?" she yelled at him angrily, gripping him tighter and tighter.

Batman choked out a laugh, "Oh, you can't kill me."

"What makes you think that?"

Batman knew Kara's nature. He knew she could never bring herself to hurt him; she was to emotionally attached.

"Because," Batman told her, reaching behind his back, "deep down, you're a good person."

Before Kara could react, Batman threw a strange canister at her, which exploded in a green puff of smoke in her face, causing her to drop him. "And deep down, I'm not."

"Kara!" Conner yelled, charging towards Batman at full speed.

Batman side stepped Conner and slammed another green smoke explosive in his face, which exploded and knocked both men backwards.

Batman stood shakily, his vision blurring a bit and the armor on his right hand completely destroyed from the force of the explosion. His shoulder pained him terribly, but Batman did his best to ignore it. Tearing off his armored helmet, he walked over towards where Superman and Superwoman lay weak on the ground, coughing violently. The two looked as if they were dying, their eyes red and their skin beginning to bruise.

"What, what did you do to us" coughed Kara, trying to stand up.

"It's powdered kryptonite," Batman answered, without even looking at her, "It's non-lethal, but you won't have your powers for another week or so. This stuff took weeks to develop and cost me a fortune, but it was all worth it in the end."

Superman was on his knees gasping for air next to Superwoman, who was lying down doing the same. He grew weaker as the green dust spread throughout his body, making him weaker and weaker.

Batman then turned to Conner and picked him up by the collar, staring straight through his eyes and into his soul. "How does it feel Conner, to be powerless, to be like everyone else? How does it feel to come to terms with what each of us have to every day, our own mortality."

"Christian… why…"

"Because I wanted to send a message, wanted to show you not to get in my way!" Batman snarled angrily, keeping the crippled man up to eye level, "I want you to remember this moment Conner, I want you to shudder in fear of it. I didn't have to hold back and neither did you. I want you to remember what it means to believe in an ideal, and during your darkest hours, your most private moments, I want you to remember the one man who beat you!"

Batman dropped Superman on the curb and sat down between the two fallen gods. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, trying to deal with the pain of his other injuries. His head was still ringing from Kara's punch, but he wouldn't let on to it. He would not let them know that deep down; he was just as injured and in pain as they were.

"He looked up towards the sky and closed his eyes, giving his suit one command before he slipped into unconsciousness. "Return… Home…"

000000000000000000000000

Christian woke up in his bed, light streaming through the glass door to his balcony. It seemed as if the whole fight had been a bad dream, but he was soon reminded of the harsh reality when he tried to sit up.

His ribs were cracked, his shoulder had been dislocated, and he had suffered several concussions from the fight. Christian just lay back down and looked up to the ceiling, trying to decide if what he did was the right thing.

He had done it; he had fended off the whole Justice League. He had beaten the government's secret weapon.

"I see you are awake Mr. Wayne,"

Christian turned his head slowly and saw Eve sitting next to his bed, holding a platter with breakfast.

"Eve, what…"

"You are very lucky that Mr. Fox added the auto pilot feature to the suit, or you would have been locked up for good."

Christian looked at her in confusion "What happened?"

"Those who were against your activities were not very pleased that you defeated the Justice League. Many call it an embarrassment that our government cannot control one man," Eve told him, handing him a glass of water.

Christian took it and nodded thankfully. The cool water felt great as it went down his dry throat, as if it was giving him new life.

"What happened to the League?"

Eve pulled out her clipboard and cleared her throat; "The whole League is presently at Gotham General, where they are attempting to make a recovery. Miss M'gann has suffered multiple concussions, along with several lacerations. Mr. Lawrence Keegan checked in with several broken ribs and a shattered collarbone. Mr. West's left leg and arm have both been broken severely, and will take months to recover. Ms. Cassandra Sandsmark has both her wrists broken and her femur fractured. Mr. Kent is suffering from extreme bruising and is having a difficult time recovering without his powers."

"And Kara?"

Eve bit her lip nervously, "Ms. Kent has three broken ribs and will not recover for weeks. If they didn't get your message before, they've got it now."

Christian put the glass down on his nightstand and sighed, "Well at least they're in good hands."

"If I may Mr. Wayne," Eve asked him, "who are you fighting?"

Christian gave her a confused look and answered, "The Joker along with the other criminals of Gotham."

"Then why did you hospitalize the leaders of the Justice League?"

"Because they were in my way," Christian answered again, still confused as to what she was getting at.

"Nothing it's just that you reminded me of someone we met earlier this year."

"Who would that be?"

Eve gave him a cold glare, "Identity."

Christian's eyes went wide with fear. He did sound like the masked anarchist! He had fought genuinely good people just to get to his ultimate goal. Christian shook his head; there was no way. No one had died, so that made a difference, right?

"Mr. Wayne, I'm not going to lecture you on why what you did was wrong, but just know that your father and your sister would have been very disappointed in you."

Would his father have been disappointed in him? Christian knew that his dad knew how he thought, that nothing could get in the way of the mission. Maybe he had gone overboard though. Had he crossed the line in hurting good people?

Christian knew in the darkest corner of his mind he might have even wanted the fight to happen. It may have been jealousy, or maybe even his frustration with his relationship with Kara.

"Oh, also please get yourself dressed Mr. Wayne, you have someone waiting for you downstairs," Eve told him, picking up what remained of his breakfast.

"Who?"

"Dr. Harleen Qunizel, she said you might need to talk to her and I quite frankly agree."

Christian grumbled in annoyance, "I don't need a psychiatrist."

"Please Mr. Wayne, do it for me," Eve asked him, batting her eyelashes, a card she rarely pulled.

Christian waved her off and stood up slowly, grabbing the crutches Eve had provided him with. Slowly but surely, he hobbled out of his room and downstairs to the library, where Dr. Quinzel was waiting.

"Dr. Quinzel, what can I do for you?" Christian asked, putting on the best fake smile he could.

"Good morning Mr. Wayne," Dr. Quinzel greeted, "would you like to sit here with me?"

"It'd be my pleasure, but if you don't mind me asking, to what do I owe this visit?" Christian asked as he sat down carefully on his couch.

Dr. Quinzel put on her reading glasses and pulled out a notepad and a pen. Christian gave her a suspicious look as she clicked the top of the pen and began writing the date and his name on the pad. "So Mr. Wayne, where did you get those bruises and that broken shoulder from?"

"Oh, the life of a playboy philanthropist is a dangerous one," Christian answered with yet another fake grin. Dr. Quinzel was less then amused by the answer though, and poked Christian in the ribs with her pen.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, holding his side painfully, "What'd you do that for?"

"Mr. Wayne I worked for the Joker for many years. You don't think I don't know the difference between a wound gotten by accident and a wound gotten from a fight?"

"Did Eve tell you," Christian asked in an annoyed tone of voice, covering his hurt ribs with his hands.

"No, but I saw it all on the evening news."

Of course, the media probably went into a frenzy over the fight. He was going to have to check on what they had reported, lest they caught any of what they had said during their brawl.

"Christian, what led up to this?"

Christian took a deep breath, and then answered, "You want to know when it started? It started when they all left me to deal with the pain and anguish of loosing the two people closest to me. That's not what I'm bitter about though. It was my entire fault and I deserved the loneliness. I had led my own father and little sister to their untimely deaths, which was unforgivable."

Dr. Quinzel wrote this down and then asked, "Has it ever occurred to you that it's not your fault? That they were merely victims of circumstance?"

"My call, my fault," Christian told her bluntly

Dr. Quinzel nodded, "Let's talk about Kara then shall we?"

"I'd rather we didn't"

"Why did you treat her so badly? Why did you feel the need to fight her?"

Christian clenched his fists tightly. He didn't want to talk about what had happened between them, even if it was eating away at him.

"Christian, please answer the question," Dr. Quinzel pushed

"What is there to say? We've known each other for a while and we dated some in college. It didn't work out so we went our separate ways, happy?"

"Do you still harbor feelings for her?"

Christian shook his head, even though he knew it was a lie, "She and I are, or were, purely friends. Now she probably doesn't want to see me again…"

"It sounds like her opinion matters more then that of a friend's," Dr. Quinzel commented, writing more down on her notepad.

Christian glared at his reflection in the window behind Harleen, "Kara was my best friend, and I promised I would save her boyfriend when he was captured by the Joker. I failed her."

"Christian what happened to Jimmy was not your fault. You have to stop taking the blame for everything bad that happens in Gotham. You can't be everywhere at once, and you can't save everyone all the time, you're only human."

"Well it doesn't matter now, does it? All that matters is that the Joker is caught and locked away for good, never to see the sun again," Christian said.

Harleen sighed, and then giggled a bit, "You're just like him you know? Everything that was good about him is what's good about you, along with the small things that weren't so great. There is one difference though; you still have a chance to enjoy your life. Despite what you may think, you can still make amends and have the relationships he never had."

"If Batman is connected to anyone, that person will inevitably be…"

"Don't give me that bull shit," Dr. Quinzel told him, "people die anyways, related to Batman or not. The Joker probably had no idea Jimmy was even linked to you; he probably targeted him because of his relationship with Superman and Superwoman. So don't isolate yourself because you think that you'll hurt everyone around you."

"I'll think about it," Christian told her as he tried to stand up on his own. Dr. Quinzel went over and helped him up, walking him over towards the kitchen so he could eat and recuperate. He needed to be at his best before he continued looking for the Joker.

**A/N: Well there it was, the big fight between Batman and the league that I promised. I hope you all enjoyed it! Please leave a review or a favorite!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed my big collision chapter. If any of you got it, it was based of the Dark Knight Returns (A great comic and a great movie). Well here's chapter fourteen, have fun reading! Oh, and I'm also going to try responding to my guest reviewers, but since I have no way to differentiate you two, I'll just assume you know which one I'm talking to.**

** Guest #1: I like the drama that the fight adds to their relationship to. I think it's an interesting dynamic when two people with that relationship are forced on different sides of a battle.**

** Guest #2: In this story's sequel I might delve into some of Kara's heritage, but for now this story stays on earth**

** Jenecide24: Hah, I'm glad you liked their fight! I hope it was everything I was building it up to be!**

** Isaac****Clark: I'm trying to show Christian becoming tired and cracking under the pressure. As you can see, he's not exactly as resolute as the first Batman. I don't know if I clarified this but his problem wasn't as much being scarred by his family's death, but the abandonment after it. Everyone kind of returned to their normal lives, leaving him with only Eve and isolating him. In that isolation he grew bitter and angry, and thus the new Batman was born. Sorry if I didn't make that clear earlier.**

Chapter Fourteen: The Plan Unfolds

Kara lay alone in the infirmary, hooked up to multiple machines and hanging on to her life. So this is what it felt like to be helpless, to be completely powerless. While she may have been told that she was going to be out in about a week, she still felt as if she was dying.

The kryptonite hadn't worked its way out of her system, leaving her constantly drained and weak. All she felt was tired, depressed, and humiliated. During her time in the hospital, she had realized something. People had stopped seeing the Justice League as the heroes, rather soldiers for the U.S. government. When she had watched the fight on television, she heard the people cheer for their dark champion as he fought against the system.

With a sorrowful sigh, Kara decided to check the news and see how the situation was developing. The anchors were in a discussion about Batman's revolution against the American government. She switched it off immediately, disgusted by the totally off interpretation of the fight. Batman wasn't a revolutionist; he was a man standing up for what he believed. Perhaps she should have done the same.

"Ms. Superwoman?"

Kara turned her head towards the nurse who was holding her medication.

"Yes?"

"It's time for your pain medication," the young nurse told her, setting the tray down next to her.

Kara hated taking these pills, especially since she had never actually taken a pill in her life. She never needed to; her body was normally immune to any normal ailment that a pill might require.

"I saw you on the television," the nurse told her as she helped Superwoman swallow her pills.

"I'm sure all of America saw us," Kara said with a pained laugh

"The Batman really came prepared, didn't he?"

Kara took a sip from her water, "He always does."

"Well it didn't seem like many of you really wanted to fight him."

Kara was a bit annoyed by how nosey this woman was being, but decided to humor her anyways, "It's never easy fighting someone who you consider to be a friend."

"Why were you fighting? I mean, I've heard all this Batman revolution stuff on the news but I don't believe a word of it. What really happened?"

"Batman and the League came to an… impasse when it came to what we should be fighting for. The League told him that if he didn't stop, we'd come after him and… well you saw how well that went."

The nurse nodded, putting the tray on the table beside Kara's bed, "I've always been a fan of yours Superwoman, ever since I was a teen and you were just Supergirl. You were always so willing to stand up for what you believed in. I even heard you broke out of Darkseid's control."

"Hah, to be a teen again," Kara smiled, reminiscing her days as Supergirl. While she not much time had passed since she last used that name, she still felt completely different.

"Do you believe in fighting solely for one government?"

Kara knew this question was coming, but she still could never be completely prepared for it. While she did love her country, she knew blind patriotism was never a good thing. "I don't know what I believe in any more."

"Well I'm sure it will come to you," the nurse told her, "but in the mean while you do have a visitor."

Kara nodded, "Who is it?"

"Miss M'gann Morzz has recovered faster then the others, so she has come to check up on you."

The nurse stepped aside so M'gann could enter Kara's room. The martian's head was bandaged and one of her arms were in a sling, but overall she was doing better then the rest.

"Hey M'gann," Kara greeted, nodding towards the seat next to her bed.

"Superwoman," M'gann responded, sitting down, "How are you doing?"

"Well three of my ribs are broken and I have several serious bruises and concussions, but apart from that I'm good."

M'gann gave a faint smile, "The Batman was more then we expected."

"Yeah, I guess that's the power of belief for ya," Kara answered, coughing weakly

"For a minute I thought he was actually going to kill you two."

Kara shook her head, "He wouldn't kill us. I've known Christian for most my life, and he would never take things that far."

"Superwoman he almost kill…"

"No! Batman wouldn't kill, no matter how tempting we may have made it…"

M'gann sighed, "Alright, so we let the Batman go?"

"As of right now, I don't see anything else we can do," Kara responded, "How are the rest doing?"

"They all were hit pretty badly. I was only able to heal so quickly because of what I am, but since you and Conner were hit with those Kryptonite grenades, it will take much longer to recover."

"Hopefully we'll be able to heal quick enough before…"

Suddenly the two heard screams coming from the downstairs lobby. Gunshots rang throughout the hallways as nurses and doctors began to panic and abandon their patients.

"What's going on?" Kara asked, trying to sit up but quickly finding that she couldn't.

M'gann placed her fingers on her temples and focused for a couple seconds. When she released her head, she gasped, "Oh no…"

"What is it M'gann?"

M'gann gave her a terrified look, "He's here!"

"Who, Batman?" Kara asked in disbelief. Christian wouldn't have come back for them, would he?

"No, the Joker!" M'gann told her, "Kara, we have to get out of here!"

The Joker was here? Kara knew that the mad clown must have figured out they were still weak from their fight and now he was coming for them.

Kara shook her head, "No, you go and warn Batman, I'll only slow you down."

"But Superwoman…"

"No buts," Kara said, "GO!"

M'gann nodded and fazed through the wall, leaving Kara alone with the league and the Joker.

She heard the mad jester's maniacal laughter grow closer and become more definite, echoing through the whole building. Three more gunshots went off, each louder then the next. The Joker was getting closer.

A woman in red and black passed by her door, toting a massive assault rifle and humming a happy tune. When she spotted Superwoman out of the corner of her eye, she gasped and called, "Sweetie! I found one!"

In a matter of seconds, the Joker himself was at the doorway, smiling widely and psychotically.

"Well, well, had a bit of a spat did we?" he taunted, flipping the switchblade in his hand as he closed in on her. "I heard Batman gave you and your spandex squad quite the thrashing!"

"If you're going to kill me, just do it already," Kara spat, glaring maliciously at the Joker.

Joker shook his head with mock disappointment, "Tsk tsk, no need for bad manners Superwoman. After all, it's your own fault your in here. I guess that just proves Bats is the God King of Gotham that I always thought he was!"

"What do you want Joker?"

"Well you see I'm having a banquet, you see, a little get together to celebrate me and Batman's return! I'm coming to pick you up so you won't have to be late! Aren't I just a pal? Heheheeheheeheeehe!"

"You're a madman," Kara growled, trying to muster at least some of her power.

"Is this about Jimmy?" The Joker asked, acting as if he felt bad for killing him, "Look you should know that what happened to paper boy wasn't anything against you really. It's just that he was a necessary step in helping Batman become the best he could be and live up to his full potential!"

Kara was now actively fighting the hospital restraints as Joker motioned for Harley to hand him a small dart gun.

"Don't worry, don't worry, this isn't Titan," he laughed as he put the gun up to her arm, "Or at least I don't think it is, hehe!"

Kara felt a sharp pain in her arm, and suddenly her vision became fuzzy. Her eyelids became heavy and she had to start fighting to stay awake.

"Come now Superwoman, go to sleep. We need you well rested for your big role in my great performance!"

Kara's eyes closed and she fell into a deep slumber, the last thing she heard being Joker's maniacal laughing.

0000000000000000000000000000 00000

Christian sat at the bat computer looking over the case files for the Joker. The clown had escaped the GCPD confinement, killed everyone inside the building, and then had simply left. Then, there wasn't been a single word of him for over a week. What was he planning?

"Eve, are my leg and shoulder braces ready?" Christian asked as he took a sip of coffee

"Mr. Fox just delivered them," Eve answered, bringing down a large cardboard box, "I sent him a thank you along with a bonus check added on to his salary."

"Thank you Eve, just put them on the table next to me."

Eve put the cardboard box on the table and opened it up. Inside was a mechanical arm brace and a mechanical leg brace, both were designed to support Christian's injuries while he fought and also slightly improve his strength.

"Are you sure this is a good idea Mr. Wayne? Maybe you should recover before even considering going back out there," Eve asked him as she helped snap on the braces.

Christian nodded, "I need to continue looking for him Eve, who knows what this madman could be up to?"

"If I may, Mr. Wayne, you cannot defend Gotham if you don't live long enough to stop him. Please rest," Eve, told him, crossing her arms

"Sorry Eve, but I can't lose time just because I hurt my leg and my shoulder, besides," Christian said, standing up with his new leg brace, "I feel perfectly fine now."

Eve rolled her eyes, "Sometimes sir, I think you are trying to keep me up at night worrying."

"You worry about me?" Christian joked, walking over towards the chemical table, where he was analyzing the Joker toxin.

Ever since the Joker had returned, Christian had been trying to figure out what was in his blood that made him the way he was, what part in the chemical was born with that caused him to become the way he was.

"I've analyzed the chemical," Christian told Eve as he picked up a beaker of the deadly toxin, "but I can't find what caused him to be born like that. As far as I can tell, the first Joker shouldn't have been able to create offspring, and no embryo could survive this poison."

"Perhaps it was just bad luck?"

Christian shook his head, "No such thing. There has to be a logical reason, but what!"

"We could ask Doctor Quinzel the circumstances of her, erm… conception," Eve suggested to him as he put the chemical away and moved back to the computer.

"No, I doubt that she would know. Anyways, I have other things I also have to look over. Why do you think the Joker stole the police directory?"

Eve gave him a curious look, "Wouldn't it be to hunt them down?"

"No, no the Joker acts on impulse," Christian explained as he stared at the screen, "If he was going to kill them all, he already would have. What could he possibly want with them?"

"I wouldn't know, I can't say I think like that sick clown."

"No one does," Christian said, continuing to watch the screen vigilantly.

Why would the Joker steal police files and not use any of the information on them? It could be something just to anger Batman and the force, but to go through such great lengths to do so was unheard of.

"Christian Wayne!"

Christian whirled around in his chair, looking for where the noise came from.

"Eve, go upstairs," he told her calmly, grabbing his cowl off the computer desk.

Eve nodded and quickly ran upstairs, not wanting to get mixed up in whatever was about to break out.

"Who's there?" Batman demanded, looking around the room.

He turned on his infrared scanner and saw the shape of a woman floating behind him. Spinning around, he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the cave wall. He soon saw it was none other then M'gann, who had undoubtedly come back for round two.

"I have not come to fight you Batman," she assured him, trying to pry his hand off her neck.

"Why are you here," he snarled, pushing her with greater force against the wall.

"The League needs you help."

"Why should I help any of you," Batman asked, not releasing the Martian woman.

"Please," M'gann pleaded, "Just turn on the news."

Batman decided to trust her this once and let go of her. He walked over towards the bat computer and commanded, "Computer, show me the Gotham City News."

The computer screen opened up a window with the current broadcast.

"We have just received word that the Joker has struck in Gotham General Hospital, killing about twenty doctors and nurses," the news castor reported, "Many patients have been reported missing, including all members of the Justice League, who were recently injured in the battle against Gotham's very own dark knight."

Batman's eyes widened with fear. The Joker had Kara. That murderous, evil, miserable excuse for a human being had Kara.

"No…"

M'gann put her hand on his shoulder, "I know we have had our differences, but I need you help. No one has a better chance of defeating the Joker then you, Batman."

"He has her…"

"Batman, please. Kara, along with my other friends need you to save them."

"How did this happen? Was anyone even watching after any of you?"

M'gann nodded and told him bitterly, "They were no match for the Joker though, and we couldn't defend ourselves after you broke most of the bones in our bodies."

Batman glared back at her, "No matter what happened, we need to find where the Joker is hiding. Can you use your telepathy to find him?"

"No," M'gann answered, "trying to locate one mind in all of Gotham would be like trying to find a specific grain of sand in a whole beach. It would be near impossible."

"Of course it would. How was the Joker able to drop off the radar so quickly? Super criminals like him shouldn't be able to just disappear, the police keep records of these kinds of things," Batman thought aloud, staring intensely at the screen

"CHRISTIAN!"

Batman jerked his head towards the exit of the cave. At the door, he saw Eve standing, strands of hair out of place and completely out of breath.

"Eve, what's wrong?" he asked

"The news! Come quickly!"

Batman switched the news back on, where they were broadcasting an image of a flaming building. He immediately recognized it to be none other then black gate prison.

"As if the recent abduction of the Justice League wasn't bad enough, the Joker has just let half of the inmates of black gate prison out on the streets," the anchor reported, looking through his notes as if he didn't believe it himself, "No one knows how the Joker got in or how he was able to plant the charges, but citizens are advised to stay inside at night and to avoid any suspicious activity."

"Black Gate Prison," M'gann said in disbelief, "How did he sneak in without being noticed? It's a maximum-security prison, not a revolving door like Arkham was! He'd need all sorts of identification to get in without triggering some sort of alarm…"

"How he did it doesn't matter right now," Batman told her, walking over to his equipment table, "Someone has to bring order to the streets."

"Mr. Wayne, I have faith in your abilities, but isn't most of Black Gate a little too much, even for you," Eve commented, voicing her concern.

"It is too much, that's why I'm going to recruit help."

M'gann stepped forwards and volunteered, "I will help you get the prisoners under control."

"Thank you M'gann, but I'm going to need more help then that. I was told earlier that I had inspired some to take action against crime, is that correct?" Batman asked her as he assembled his utility belt.

"Yes," M'gann answered, "a gang calling themselves 'the Bats' have been practicing vigilantism ever since you returned."

"Can you their meeting place for me?"

"M'gann nodded, as finding a huge group was much easier then finding one man. Placing her hands on her temples, she focused on locating their minds. After a couple seconds, she reported, "They are meeting now in crime ally."

Batman nodded, "Then that's where we need to be. Eve, keep track of the street riots while M'gann and I go get back up."

"Yes Mr. Wayne," Eve said, giving an obedient nod.

Batman opened the top of the Batmobile and jumped in. He turned to M'gann and asked, "Do you want a ride or would you rather fly?"

The Martian woman floated down onto the seat next to him and told him, "Let's hurry, the sooner we stop this the sooner we find the Joker."

Batman smiled slightly, "Now you know how I think."

0000000000000000000000000000 00000000000

Batman and M'gann rolled up outside a dive strip club deep in the narrows. This place disgusted him, the kind of place where innocent people got robbed on their way home. Batman had been keeping track of the Bats' activities, and so far he only saw them as a rowdy gang looking for attention. With the right training, though, they might become a valuable asset.

"M'gann, you may want to change your outfit," Batman told her before they walked in

"Why?"  
"Because," Batman answered, "They won't take kindly to someone I publicly fought against. To them, you may be just as much of a villain as Joker.

"I see your point," said M'gann, her skin changing color and her costume morphing around her. When she finished, Batman almost asked her to go back to normal.

M'gann was wearing a black mask, along with a red, green, and yellow suit with an R emblem on it.

"Really?"

"I'll fit in," she responded, shrugging him off

Batman grunted and turned back towards the double doors to the whore house.

Inside the run down club were hundreds of men and teenagers all dressed in bat themed clothing, all wearing a cowl similar to Batman's.

"You sure have a large fan club," M'gann commented as they walked towards the center of the room.

When the gang members saw Batman, the real Batman, walking through, they immediately moved to the side, whispering amongst themselves. As Batman got closer to the middle of the room, he saw two members fighting each other and a ring of people around them cheering. Grimacing, he grabbed one's shoulder and threw him aside, then grabbed the other by the wrist and threw him to the ground.

Everyone immediately went silent, trying to decide if he was in fact the real Batman.

Batman scanned the room, and saw people pulling out guns from under the table and grabbing spiked baseball bats.

"Batman, now may be a good time to prove you're really you," M'gann whispered as the Bats surrounded them, wielding weapons and smiling wildly.

"So this is what my name has been reduced to," Batman mused sarcastically, "a gang of punks and cowards."

"Look, I don't know who you think you are," one of them said, holding his pistol up to Batman's head, "but no one messes with the Bats!"

Batman turned his head slowly and glared at the young mobster, anger burning in his eyes. The man backed up a little bit, but still head the gun steadily towards him.

"You are all disgraces."

Batman grabbed the pistol and shoved it upwards before the man fired it with a BANG. Twisting his arm, Batman subdued the young troublemaker while M'gann turned the other way, not wanting to watch. After he decided that the man's wrist was sprained enough, Batman let go and grabbed one of the shotguns out of another gang member's hand.

"You name yourselves after me, yet you do nothing to help the innocent when you are needed most!"

With a swift movement, Batman brought the gun down on his knee and snapped it in half. Throwing the two pieces on the ground, he yelled, "You use the weapons of cowards! They are loud and clumsy! You hide in a filthy whorehouse, fighting amongst yourselves and drinking until you see double! This is unacceptable!"

"Who are you to tell us what to do!" one yelled from the crowd.

"I am the Batman! The real Batman! If anyone dares challenge my title step up now and I will prove it!"

The Bats all stayed silent, none daring to step forwards and challenge him.

Batman nodded, "Now is the time to redeem yourselves! Now is the time to step up to the challenge!"

"What should we do?" the crowd asked, looking to their leader and paragon for direction.

"Many of the inmates from Black Gate Prison have escaped due to an attack from the Joker!" Batman told them in a commanding voice, inspiring everyone, even M'gann, "They now run free on the streets, rioting and threatening the innocent! We must stop this before people get hurt!"

"But how are we supposed to stop them without guns?"

Batman raised his fist in the air and yelled, "Behold, the most silent and efficient weapon of all. You think that I speak of my fists, but I do not. Belief, belief is the greatest force the world has ever seen. You must become fearless, ready to put your very life on the line to do what is necessary! Do you all believe that Gotham is sick?"

The crowd cheered in agreement, their roars of approval were heard throughout all the narrows.

"Do you believe that we can bring it out of the darkness, even if we have to drag it kicking and screaming the whole way?!"

More cheers of approval shook the foundations of the club, making M'gann a bit uneasy. She found even herself agreeing with his message. The Batman had such charisma, such fever in whatever he said that it was hard not to side with him. No wonder Kara had such feelings for him.

"Then we will storm the streets and take back Gotham, the Joker will NOT win!"

The Bats exploded with energy, dropping all their guns and grabbing bludgeons and hand wraps instead. Batman smiled as he saw a gang of attention needy punks become a army for justice.

"Wow, that was… incredible," M'gann said in awe, shocked by how quickly Batman was able to take control of the situation.

"Sometimes, you can't be willing to compromise. If you want organization, sometimes you have to be willing to take command," Batman told her as they followed their troops out onto the street.

"So what now?" M'gann asked as she pulled her hood up

"Now, we do what we do best, fight."

Batman and M'gann jumped in the Batmobile and raced off to upper Gotham, where the most riots were happening.

"Oracle, patch me through to the Commissioner," Batman told Eve as he swerved through traffic, breaking about every traffic law known to man.

"Patching you through now Mr. Wayne."

After a couple seconds, the commissioner's voice came over the radio, "Hello? Who is this, how did you get this frequency!"

"Commissioner Carmen, this is Batman," he answered, stopping the car suddenly in the middle of the street, "I'm down at upper east Gotham where most of the riots have broken out. If you can handle the west and south side, I'll put this one to rest."

"How are you going to do that by yourself," she asked,

The Bats rolled up behind the batmobile in black cars and motorcycles, cheering and hooting. Batman jumped out of the car and held his hand out towards M'gann. She handed him a large black megaphone, and then covered her ears in anticipation.

He looked out onto the streets, people were attacking each other, looters were stealing everything they could, cars were turned, buildings were on fire; it was a complete disaster.

Batman put the megaphone up to his mouth and commanded, "Criminals of Black Gate Prison, disperse immediately!"

The men in orange jumpsuits all turned around from what they were doing and saw the Batman standing with an army of black clad warriors. Some of them ran away, they figured prison was better then the beating they were going to get if they stayed. Those who decided to stick around grabbed whatever they could to use as weapons and grouped together, yelling and gnashing their teeth angrily.

"One last chance, disperse or face the consequences!"

The prisoners responded with a unanimous, "FUCK YOU!"

Batman shook his head in mock pity; he had to admit he had hoped some would stay.

Pulling out a batarang, he raised it high in the air and threw it at the crowd of convicts. The small projectile exploded into millions of tiny batarangs, which all stuck themselves like little thorns into the skin of the prisoners.

This signaled the Bats to charge, the whole gang was waiting for this moment.

"GET 'EM!" yelled one, running forward and slugging a large convict in the jaw. The two sides swarmed each other, throwing wild kicks and punches at each other.

Batman ran through the battlefield, knocking down any prisoner in his way. One escapee tried to attack him with a lead pipe, but was quickly met by an elbow to the stomach and a fist to the jaw.

M'gann followed Batman's lead, using her strength and wit to take out enemies just as he did. She found respect for Batman in the way he fought, cold, precise, and swift. M'gann watched as Batman grabbed one of the prisoners by the back of his neck and slammed his head into another charging convict. Flipping over another criminal, Batman drove his feet into two of the escaped prisoners' necks, instantly knocking the wind out of them.

"Robin look out!"

It took a second for M'gann to process that he meant her, but she turned around just in time to see a big man with a sledgehammer about to swing. M'gann slid under his legs and grabbed his ankle, tripping him over. Before he could hit the ground, Batman delivered a kick to his jaw, knocking him out completely.

"Sorry, I guess I'm feeling a little bad from my injuries," she said, punching another criminal over.

Batman punched one convict in the stomach and then grabbed him by the hips. Mustering his strength, he flipped the man over him and into another criminal trying to attack from behind. He made no comment, no apology for her injuries. M'gann never expected him too; she could read his mind. She knew he felt no remorse for his actions; they had become obstacles, a danger to Gotham in his eyes. Once someone endangers Gotham, they immediately became the Batman's enemy, no matter what they were before. He was focused solely on the mission.

Police cars began to arrive and make arrests, but to the Bats' surprises, they were left alone. Batman and the gang continued to knock out criminals; the streets were being cleaned up one by one. Policemen fought beside the vigilantes, handing out tazors and other non-lethal weapons to the Bats.

As he fought, Batman again went into a feral state of mind. Each criminal became an object, a target, or a weapon to use against others. He broke bones and dealt out concussions mercilessly, showing the criminals the true wrath of the Batman. The escaped convicts couldn't get their hands on any innocents. He wouldn't let them. Batman would not allow more to fall because of the Joker.

"Is it just me, or is this getting easier," M'gann said confidently, swinging her foot into yet another convict's face.

"Yes, it's almost time to make our exit."

"What do you mean?" she asked in disbelief, "How can we abandon the fight?"

"Right after they arrest the escaped criminals, the police probably have orders to go after me. If the government didn't like me before, showing up with a whole army of people won't help my image," he told her, swinging both his fists into an unlucky prisoner's rib cage.

Once he finished up with three others, Batman pulled out a small button from his belt and clicked it. The Batmobile roared to life and drove over to them, opening the top so they could get in. M'gann and Batman jumped inside and drove off, shooting down any criminal in their way with non-lethal rubber bullets. Batman smiled with satisfaction as he saw the streets covered with unconscious criminals, each had gotten the swift and harsh judgment they deserved.

"Batman to Oracle, how are things looking," he asked Eve

"Surprisingly great, actually. There were minimal casualties; the furthest the riots seemed to get were property damage. It looks like you got to them just in time," Eve answered excitedly

M'gann smiled widely and gave Batman a bone crushing hug, "We did it! We actually stopped half of the inmates in Black Gate!"

"M'gann, my ribs are still bruised," Batman gasped, pushing her off him.

She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, blushing a bit, "I'm sorry it's just, I didn't think we could actually do it."

"You did well. Hopefully the league may eventually come around and see things my way," Batman told her emotionlessly.

M'gann's eyes fell to her feet after hearing his comment. Lately, she was starting to waver herself. Seeing things from Batman's view, hearing the belief and passion when he spoke, it was inspiring. She began to see what Kara saw in this stalwart dark knight, why Superwoman had become so enamored with him. It was how he stood his ground for what he believed, unlike what the league had done.

"Why did you all do it?"

M'gann turned her head towards him and said, "Huh?"

"Why did you all submit to one government, when before you fought for the whole planet?"

"Because people felt threatened by our presence, they felt like we could so easily turn on them," she answered, "so finally the U.S. forced us into their ranks, not that the balance of power has gotten any better…"

"You have the power to leave and make your own decisions," he told her as they drove back to the cave, "You alone can choose your path. The world still needs the Justice League to save it from people like the Joker, not to promote fighting between each other."

"Who knows," M'gann joked with a smile, "Your beating may change everything."

"Yeah… Who knows…"

**A/N: Batman is swaying one of the league members to side with him (this one's for you Guest #2 :D). The Joker also has the world's greatest heroes captured!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Well, this story is almost coming to an end. This isn't the last chapter, but we're getting close to it. I hope you enjoy it! Plz leave a review or a favorite if you liked it!**

** Guest #1: Yeah, Christian is pretty bad at the no attraction thing. But he is a Wayne, so it runs in the family.**

** Isaac Clark: OMG that is almost the exact look I was going for! I'm glad you saw her the same way I imagined her.**

** Guest #2: I've always seen M'gann as a more open minded character, willing to look at things at a different angle. It made sense to me that she would be able to see Batman's point of view.**

Chapter Fifteen: The Party

Kevin Doyle sat with his family eating dinner. His wife had made his favorite, oysters and scallops. Before he had met her, Kevin had been in the navy, which he still considered to be some of his best years. He could never get enough of the sea; he always had to have a bit of it in his life. The scallops and oysters that he ate reminded him of a simpler time, a time before Gotham. In all his years in the navy, he had never seen horrors even comparable to the ones in this cursed city.

"Daddy?"

Kevin looked over at his daughter and saw her smiling at him. He returned the smile and responded, "Yes sweetie?"

"Did you help stop the bad guys today?"

"Yes I did honey, and thank goodness the bad men are all back where they belong," he answered, ruffling his little girl's hair. His daughter giggled and took a big bite out of her mashed potatoes, eating them messily with glee.

"You're our hero honey," his wife told him as she put some salad on her plate.

"Thanks Sandra," Kevin said guiltily, "your support is all I need."

He took some oysters out of the large pot in the middle of the table and spooned some onto his plate. Kevin almost felt sick, lying to his own family. He knew it was for their good though; it was for them.

"So dad, guess what we're doing in class tomorrow," his teenage boy asked him

Kevin turned his attention to his son as he chewed on his dinner, "What are you doing Roy?"

"Well in government class we're discussing the Batman!"

Kevin raised his eyebrow, interested in which side his son might take. He knew how he felt. The Batman was out of control and out of line. Others down at the precinct, such as Officer Johnson, felt differently though. They thought that the Batman was some sort of guardian angel, watching over Gotham.

Sure, they all had theories as to what the dark knight might be. Bullock thought he was some sort of demon that punished the wicked. Joannes thought that the Batman was a mutant created by some horrible lab experiment. Kevin knew the truth though: in the end Batman was just another psycho in a mask. Though, being psychotic was the norm in Gothom.

"Yeah, we were talking about the pros and cons of his interference with the law," Roy continued, not noticing that his father was deep in thought, "My gov teacher thinks that Batman's activities are an active defiance of the pact the U.S. and the Justice League signed years ago, banning vigilantism such as his. My friends and I think he's pretty badass though. I mean, how cool would it be if you could fly, do tons of flips, fight like him, and drive the freakin batmobile!"

"It is a pretty cool car," Kevin said, nodding in agreement.

The truth was lots of people would give anything to be like him, a hero. Maybe he didn't like the caped crusader because he was jealous, or maybe it _was_ because Batman was an outlaw.

One thing Kevin did understand was the drive to do what was necessary, even if it was horrible. He had to do it for his family, the people he couldn't live without.

"Oh and Kevin, I found your pack of cigarettes," Sandra told him with a sly smile, "I took the liberty of throwing them away for you."

"Daddy, you smoke!" his daughter wailed, not wanting her dad to die young.

"I guess I don't anymore Helen," Kevin laughed, trying not to let his grumpy half take over.

Helen smiled and hugged her dad, "good, I want to have you here when I have babies!"

"Lets not get ahead of ourselves," Kevin joked

The family laughed as Helen sat back in her chair and pouted, crossing her arms grumpily.

They continued to eat like a happy family, until the lights suddenly flickered for a bit.

"What's going on?" Sandra asked

"There isn't any storm here," Roy commented, trying to look around for the source of the outage.

Kevin looked around nervously and spotted a shadow in the large window that was near their table. His eyes widened in fear as the shadow grew bigger and bigger, approaching the window more rapidly.

"Oh no…"

Batman suddenly came crashing through the window in a spectacular crash. Glass flew everywhere as the Doyle family screamed in terror.

The shadowy hero landed on the table with a thud and reached across to Kevin, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him close enough to see his glare.

Batman turned his head and saw Kevin's family cowering in the corner in fear.

"All of you leave," Batman yelled at them, "I need to speak with your father!"

"Daddy, what's going on?" Helen cried, hugging her mother tightly.

"Just go into the other room with mommy, I'll be with you in a bit," Kevin told her reassuringly, trying to calm down his family.

"But Kevin," Sandra protested

Kevin cut her off, "Please Sandra, just do it!"

Sandra nodded and put her arms around the kids, bringing them into the family room.

Batman gripped Kevin tighter and snarled, "Did you think I wouldn't figure it out?"

"No, I knew you would. Thank God you did."

"You were the one of the only ones absent during the riots. You're also a lieutenant as well, giving you clearance in the prison. Reports said a policeman set these men free. Now if I didn't know any better I'd say that you're working with the Joker!"

"Please Batman, you have to understand, I had no other choice!" Kevin said, trying to protect himself from the imminent beat down that was coming.

"What do you mean," Batman growled, "ANSWER ME!"

"Y-you remember when the Joker escaped from the police department and stole those files right?" he asked

Batman nodded, "The names and addresses of every cop in Gotham."

"Yeah, well not many of us have family, you see? Everyone knows being a cop in this city is suicide, so the job doesn't attract many fathers or husbands."

"Get to the point," Batman demanded, shaking the already scared officer back and forth.

"Well the Joker, he threatened my family! He threatened lots of our families! He said that if we didn't follow his orders, he would kill them in the most painful way possible!"

Batman loosened his grip. So the Joker had done something with the police identities, but why only use Kevin? There were so many other cops out there the opportunities for him were endless.

"Where is he hiding now?"

"He's holed up at Arkham right now," Kevin sputtered, "he took a group of us to guard it."

Batman let go of Kevin, letting him drop to the ground. Of course the Joker was in Arkham Asylum. He used the police to make it seem as if everything was fine, like nothing was out of the ordinary. Outside, Arkham looked completely normal, but inside it was a mad house.

"Batman, I'm so sorry," Kevin told him, lying bloodied on the ground, his hands cut from the shattered glass, "but I don't think you could ever understand. Do you know what it would be like to loose everything? To have everything you love destroyed?"

Batman turned towards the giant hole in the window and walked towards it slowly. Before he left, he turned his head and answered, "Yes, I do."

Batman jumped out the window and into the dark ally below. Kevin rushed over and stared out the window, watching the dark knight grapple to the building across from them and shoot up into the darkness.

Batman landed on the roof of the apartment across from Kevin's and met up with M'gann there.

"Christian, don't you think that was a little…"

"Necessary," Batman interrupted, "My hunch was right. The Joker has been hiding in plain sight, right under my nose!"

"You found him? Well what are we waiting for, let's go!"

Batman shook his head, "If there's one thing I know it's that you should always come to a fight prepared."

"What, but it's simple! We go in, take out the Joker and free our friends!" M'gann yelled angrily

"It's not that simple, with the Joker it never is!"

M'gann shook her head, "No Batman, every minute we wait is another minute they're in the hands of that madman!"

"We won't be able to help them if we're not prepared for what's to come! We're going into the Joker's home turf and most of your mental powers are down because of your head injuries! I'll be damned if I let that clown catch me off guard again!"

M'gann took in a deep breath, calming herself. She then said, "Alright Batman, we do things your way."

Batman told her, "We'll go back to the cave and once we're ready, we'll attack."

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After three days of preparation, Batman and M'gann M'orz stood on the building opposite from Arkham Asylum. Batman knelt down, preparing his gear for what could be the most important siege of his life.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go in with you," M'gann asked, trying to get Batman to let her help.

"Your psychic powers have been greatly reduced by your head injury," Batman told her as he clipped on his belt and picked up a strange looking gun from the ground, "While you may be able to help in a riot, I don't think fighting the Joker while injured is a good idea."

"You have four bruised ribs and your shoulder is still recovering!"

"But I can still fight. M'gann, I need you to understand, I won't have anyone else hurt because of me! I will _not _be responsible for the Joker!"

M'gann smiled a bit, he did remind her of the first Batman. He aimed the rifle towards the building and shot three remote bombs around the large circular window on the front of the asylum.

"I need you to try and remain in psychic link if your head will allow it," Batman told her as he strapped on his cape and activated the visor on his cowl.

M'gann nodded obediently and put on the small headset that Batman had given her.

"That should keep you in contact with Oracle and me if you can't keep up a link," he said

"You are a very strong minded earth man, you know that?" she told him as she walked up to him.

During the time M'gann had spent with him, she seen a new side to the Batman. He had an aura about him that commanded respect, and she couldn't help but follow him. She saw his view of the league and had realized he may have been right this whole time.

Batman gave her a suspicious look as she leaned in closer.

M'gann kissed him on the cheek lightly and told him, "Good luck Christian, and please bring them back safely."

"I will, don't worry," he told her

Batman grabbed the edges of his cape and walked over to the edge of the building. He took a deep breath, taking in the peace one last time before he dived into insanity. Then, he jumped, allowing himself to fall for a couple seconds before spreading the cape and beginning his glide towards the Asylum.

Wind whipped around his face as he gained speed, getting closer and closer to his target. As he got within a couple yards of the building, he yelled into his comm. link, "NOW M'GANN!"

M'gann set off the explosives he set, blowing a fiery hole in the front of Arkham. Batman tucked his arms in some, diving straight through the smoke and the flames, ignoring the heat licking his skin.

He then burst from the smoke like an angry deity, his chest glowing red as he descended upon the terrified thugs guarding Arkham Asylum. His suit was still on fire as he landed on his feet with a thud. Due to recent adjustments, his suit was flame retardant, allowing it to withstand the inferno dancing upon it.

The Joker's henchmen charged towards him, yelling profanities and swinging pipes and baseball bats. Batman charged towards them, his muscles tense with fury and his eyes ablaze with anger.

The first thug tried to swing his lead pipe at Batman. The caped crusader shifted to the left, moving out of the pipe's range, and then grabbed the pipe, slamming the butt of it into the man's stomach. Batman then grabbed him by the shirt and threw him into another thug, knocking them both to the ground. Three henchmen charged him at once, but were soon taken out just as quickly as the others.

"No Titan," Batman muttered to himself, "I'm almost disappointed."

He continued to run through the asylum, knocking over anyone who got in his way. Using the map Eve had downloaded into his cowl, he navigated his way through the super prison.

"You'll have to cross through the courtyard," M'gann told him telepathically

Batman nodded, "Alright, the nearest exit is… third door to the left."

He got to the end of the hallway and saw large metal double doors blocking his way to the center of the Asylum. Batman grimaced; he hated to use one of his more powerful tools so soon.

He pulled out a large explosive from his utility belt and placed it on the doors. After activating the charge, he backed up behind the corner and pulled out a trigger. Putting the trigger close to his forehead dramatically, Batman set off the explosion, tearing the heavy doors right off their hinges.

When he turned back around the corner he groaned in frustration.

In the courtyard were hundreds of assorted criminals and psychopaths, all armed with bludgeons, knives, brass knuckles, and other weapons.

"Hello Bats, warden Joker here!" the Joker's voice cackled over the intercom, "I'm so glad you could make it! Now I know you want to see our guests of honor, I mean c'mon, who wouldn't, but first you have to tend to your fans! They've all been waiting for so long, and it would just be rude not to give them the time of day, **_HAHAHAHAAAHAAAHAAHAAHAHAHAAA A!_**"

Batman glared at the thugs that began to surround him. He made sure not to show any fear, to show them that no matter how many there were they still didn't have control of the situation.

Discretely, Batman reached behind his back under the cover of his cape. He pulled out three of the most powerful smoke grenades he had ever made and gripped them in his fist.

"We're gonna beat the hell outta you, and then tear off that mask Batman!" one of them yelled confidently, causing the others to cheer loudly.

Batman merely smiled, "I'd like to see you all try."

"GET HIM!"

Before they could begin their charge, Batman through out his smoke grenades. Right as the small beads erupted, a breathing apparatus slid over Batman's nose and mouth, allowing him to breath perfectly in the dense smoke the grenades expelled.

He switched his vision into infrared and looked through the smoke at the multiple confused criminals. It was time to get to work.

Batman began methodically taking each one out from the fog. Those who could manage to open their eyes only saw their comrades being pulled into the smoke by a shadowy figure and could only hear the screams of their fellow convicts.

Wrapping his arms around one felon's neck, Batman quickly subdued him and turned to the thug standing next to him. Before the henchman could react, Batman delivered a strong blow to his abdomen, and then a haymaker straight to his face, breaking his nose with a _CRACK!_

Under the veil of the smoke, Batman shot a line out and caught one of the guards, who was dragged flailing and screaming into the unknown. His friends looked towards where their buddy had disappeared off to, trying to ignore how much their eyes were burning. Batman dove out of the smoke, tackled one of them, and broke his arm. A thug tried to swing a machete at him, but Batman rolled under it and kicked at his feet, knocking him over. With a powerful kick, Batman knocked him out and then turned to the other thug who was already trying to run away. Pulling three batarangs out of his belt, he threw them straight at the man's feet. Each one found its mark, sticking inside the criminal's leg and causing him to fall over.

A larger thug tried to grab Batman from behind, jumping out of the smoke for a surprise attack. Batman did a back flip over him and grabbed his arm, yanking it behind him. The man wailed in pain as Batman hitched his arm up higher, and higher, until the shoulder dislocated. The dark knight kicked the man onto the ground and then round housed another convict, who was stumbling around helplessly in the smoke.

He continued eliminating each criminal under the cover of his smoke grenades, not allowing one to escape his wrath.

"C'mon Batman, that's not fair! I can't even see you dishing out the pain if you cover the whole dang place in smoke! Harley, can we get a fan or something!" the Joker called

Batman suddenly realized where the Joker was after he finished breaking the leg of one criminal. If the Joker was watching, that probably meant he was up in the observation tower.

He looked up towards the observation tower and, sure enough, there was Harley Quinn and the Joker, looking down on him. The Joker gave him a smile, as if he knew that Batman was looking at him.

He decided to leave the rest of the criminals alone, deeming beating up all of them a waste of his time. He knew where his target was, and there was no time to lose.

Batman shot a grappling line upwards through the window overlooking the courtyard. Attaching the line to his belt, he ascended rapidly towards the top of the tower, where the Joker was waiting for him.

Batman thought of what he was going to do once he got his hands on the mad clown. He was going to break both his arms and one of his legs for Jimmy. He was going to break four of his ribs for all the people he killed in his attack on the park. He was going to crack his jaw for threatening Kevin Doyle's family. He was going to shatter his collarbone for taking Kara.

Batman dove through the window, straight into one of the gunmen guarding the Joker. He tore the gun from the thug's hands, threw it out the window, and then threw the thug into the wall.

"Hey, you aren't invited here!" Harley yelled, pulling out an assault rifle and loading it, "I'm going to have to show you the way out!"

The crazy woman unleashed a volley of bullets towards him, forcing him to take cover behind an overturned desk. Batman pulled an explosive batarang from his pocket and waited for the right moment.

Right when he heard the click of the magazine leaving the gun, Batman jumped from behind cover and threw the batarang at her, lodging it in the barrel of the gun. The batarang exploded, knocking the now broken gun out of Harley's hands and knocking her back several feet.

Before she could get up, Batman grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the wall, cracking the concrete on impact.

"Ouchy!" she yelped, "Batman, I didn't know you liked playing so rough!"

"Where is he Haley, where's the Joker!"

Harley glared at him and demanded, "How do you know my real name?"

"Haley Queen, former FBI agent, went missing after being put on a case involving a serial killer. You don't think I do my research?"

"That's who I used to be, until my sweetie rescued me from it all!" she yelled, spitting blood in Batman's face.

Batman wiped his cheek and glared at her, "Tell me, what's the sick attraction!"

"Like you'd ever understand!"

Batman sneered angrily, "Try me!"

"Mistah J makes everything fun, and no one took me seriously down at the agency! He actually cares for me!"

"You're delusional, the Joker doesn't care for you. Now tell me where he is!"

"Oh Batman, if you wanted me so badly, all you had to do is ask!"

Suddenly, the Joker jumped from behind him and stuffed a wet rag into his mouth. Batman's vision started to become hazy as he felt himself loosing consciousness.

"What's wrong Batman? Had a little too much?" the Joker laughed, "Oh but the night is still young. Harley! Give Batman another hit hehehehehehe!"

"No problem Mistah J!" Harley said, saluting her crazy boyfriend before pulling out a crowbar.

"I do love these things," she mused, bringing it back before swinging it into the side of Batman's skull.

Batman was immediately knocked out. His armored cowl couldn't even protect him from a direct hit like that. In Batman's last moments of consciousness, he could hear M'gann yelling in to him telepathically, "Get up! C'mon Batman get up!"

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Batman's vision began to return to him as he opened his eyes. His head was throbbing with pain, he felt dizzy and lightheaded. He began to make out a figure sitting on his lap, a blonde figure reaching for his mask. Batman prepared himself for his secret to be blown wide open, for everyone he knew to be hunted down mercilessly by the Joker.

Before Harley could touch his mask, he heard the Joker yell, "Get away from him Harley!"

"But sweetheart, don't you wanna see who he is?" she asked innocently, skipping back towards him.

The Joker laughed and answered, "No one's who you think they are my dear, so why ruin the fun?"

Batman tried to move his hands, but found they were tightly bound to the metal wheel chair he was in, along with his feet. He had to try and find a way to contact Eve or M'gann.

"M'gann!" he called over the psychic link, "M'gann can you hear me!"

There was no response, possibly due her head injuries. He couldn't contact Eve without the Joker realizing it, so for the time being he was on his own.

"You know Batman, I've been waiting a long time for this," the Joker told him, grabbing the handles of the chair and rolling it towards a set of double doors, "for a lot of my life it seemed as if I had no purpose. I really should be thanking you, hehe!"

Batman stayed silent, not allowing the psychopath to bait him into a response.

The Joker gave him a sarcastic look and said, "No response again I see… Oh well, I know how to get you in the spirit. Harley, would you be a dear and hold the door open for us?"

Harley cart wheeled over to the double doors and held them open, allowing the Joker to push Batman into an unlit hallway. He couldn't activate night vision because of the damage to his cowl, so he was just going to have to wait to see what the Joker had in store.

"I'm sure you got here because you figured out my little plan with the policemen?" the Joker asked him happily, walking over to a large lever on the side of the wall.

"You used them to throw suspicion off the asylum and to get into high clearance areas."

The Joker gasped, "Awww, you have been paying attention to me! Well you're half right, I did use some of them to disguise my little home as I made preparations, but others…"

The clown threw the switch, activating all the lights in the hallway. As the hallway lit up, it revealed two lines of policemen, all standing on stools in front of hangman nooses.

"Weren't so lucky, hehehehehehe**_HAHAHAAHAAAHAAHAAAHAAA!_**"

Batman struggled to get out of his bindings, looking at the policemen who simply looked to the floor in shame and sadness.

"These men want to show their dedication to you, they want to salute you for your services to Gotham!" the Joker told him as he grabbed the handles of the wheelchair again, "Oh captain my captain!"

As the Joker pushed him down the hallway, each time they'd pass a policeman the poor victim would salute and say "Oh captain my captain…"

The policeman would then stick his head through the noose and kick the stool out from underneath. Batman continued to struggle as more and more policemen hung themselves before his eyes. The Joker laughed maniacally, lavishing in the pain he was causing the dark knight.

"JOKER!" Batman yelled angrily, trying desperately to free himself

The Joker cackled, "Oh Bats, do be quiet. They're doing this for you after all!"

"Stop!" Batman pleaded the policemen, "whatever he's told you, it's a lie! You can escape, just don't do it!"

It was no use though, the men continued to hang themselves until the Joker had passed by ever one of them. It was torture, they were all killing themselves in front of him and he was helpless to stop them. It was like reliving his failure to stop his family's murder.

Batman snarled angrily, the Joker had just forced about thirty officers to hang themselves before his eyes.

"Joker so help me, when I get out of here…"

"Oh but Batman, you haven't even gotten to have your big dinner!" Joker said in mock pity.

"What dinner?"

The Joker smiled sadistically, "Come now Batman, I know you really came here for our guests of honor. Don't you want to see them?"

"What did you do?" Batman growled menacingly, still fighting against his binding.

The Joker opened up the doors to a well-lit room with a large dining table in the middle of it. Sitting around the table were three people, each with sacks over their heads.

Joker rolled Batman over to the head of the table and gave him a big smile, "I brought all your friends here to join us. I must say, they are looking their best!"

He then walked over and took off each sack, revealing the bloodied and bruised faces of the Justice League. Batman even saw M'gann with her eyes barely open sitting next to Wonder Girl, who had a large smiley face carved into her cheek and a huge black eye.

"I'm going to snap you in two," Batman threatened

"Oh come now Batman, don't tell me this isn't what you've wanted all along?" the Joker laughed

"What do you mean?"

This made the Joker crack up even more. "**_HAHAAAHAAHAHAAHHAA_**, are you serious man! This is just as much your fault as it is mine! You were the one that beat them within an inch of their life, then left them in Gotham Hospital where I could take them away!"

Batman suddenly realized, this was Joker's plan all along. He wanted to put Batman against the league, knowing that they would underestimate him. He had set the whole thing up, and Batman had played right into it. Batman gritted his teeth and clenched his fists even tighter. It was stupid. Stupid and careless.

"Ahhh, so you're finally getting that I was pulling the strings all along! It wasn't hard; all you needed was a little nudge in the right direction. Once I had you going, it was almost too easy to get you to put on your Sunday best and kick their asses, and what a spectacular show it was!"

Batman lowered his head in shame, causing the Joker grin even more widely.

"I gotta tell you though, the blonde in white and red must really like you. I mean the whole time she was all 'Batman's coming, Batman's gonna stop you'. Seriously, did she even know it was you who gave her the whooping of her lifetime!"

He could see the whole league was barely conscious, holding on to whatever bit of life they had left. While the Joker was laughing and enjoying his victory, Batman pulled a batarang out of a secret compartment in his glove and began cutting the ropes that held him. All he had to do was keep Joker occupied.

**A/N: The suspense! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and remember to leave a review or a favorite please!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: This is the last chapter of the Return. I hope my readers enjoyed the story, because I enjoyed writing it! Please leave a review or a favorite if you really liked it!**

** Isaac Clark: I'm glad you liked the big arkham brawl I wrote. I also hope you like this last chapter, I think it's a pretty good ending. Also, thanks for reviewing so consistently, it really helps me get past writer's block.**

Chapter Sixteen: A Dinner Party for the Certifiably Insane

"Why?" Batman growled, calmly cutting his bindings off, "Why did you kill all those innocent people if all you wanted to do was kill me?"

"Ahhhh, there's the question," Joker cackled, "Why did I do it? Well I've got several answers for that one. Perhaps you'd like to hear my one for the psychologists, that my mother's abandonment drove me insane? No that won't do, you aren't a shrink. Maybe the one about the chemicals affecting my mind and driving me crazy!"

Batman glared at the Joker, trying to keep the clown's attention away from his hands. "How about the one where you don't lie to me?"

"**_HA!_**" the Joker laughed, slapping his knee, "Of course, you deserve the truth, the dark truth that will make you lose hope in all humanity. Sure they can say I was a 'victim of society' that your erratic behavior brought out my 'dark side'. The truth is, that I killed all those people, including fly girl's little boyfriend, because I thought it was _so damn funny_!"

He knew the truth all along. The Joker had always been insane, from the second he was spawned from the first. There was no way fate would allow this war between order and chaos to stop; it was far too cruel.

"I know you all are awake. Why don't you join our little conversation?" The Joker told the league.

"We have nothing to say to you Joker," Superman spat, struggling against his bindings.

The Joker gave him a look of mock pain, "Ouch Supey, I'm hurt! But not as much as you'll be, Harley break his arm!"

"Yessir!" she said, grabbing a crowbar and swinging it into Superman's arm. The crowbar cracked the half kryptonian's bones, causing Superman to wail in pain.

"SUPERMAN!" Cassie yelled, trying to break free of her bindings.

"Ah ah ah, Cassie, you know the rules. If any of you get up, KABOOOM!"

Batman finished cutting through the first layer tying him to the chair, "What do you mean kaboom?"

"Oh Bats, I forgot! You missed that joke, oh I am so sorry! Well you see I was telling your friends earlier that I've rigged each of their city with multiple charges and if they get up, the sensors under their chairs detonate the bombs!"

"WHAT?!" Batman almost dropped the knife he was using to free himself.

The Joker smiled wildly, "It's true Batman. You know you want them gone though. Heck, you left them weak and helpless hoping I'd take each and every one of them."

Batman finished cutting through the last layer of his ropes, now all he had to do was find the perfect moment.

"You're bluffing."

The Joker raised his eyebrow and gave him a curious look. His wide grin then returned, "I could be. Who knows, this might all be a dream? Either way I don't think you have a way of finding out."

"Christian, what are you going to do," M'gann asked him telepathically, giving him a solemn nod.

"I need to find out if he's bluffing," Batman answered in his head, giving the Joker another glare.

"Y'know Batman, you don't really belong to with them. You aren't like them. You're a freak, just like me."

Batman glared and snarled, "I am NOTHING like you!"

"We're both two psychopaths running around in costumes."

"You're garbage who thinks death is a joke!"

"And I've got a wonderful joke for you right now. This is the one you've been waiting for," The Joker announced, "the moment where Batman becomes unchained from the low lifes who hold him back!"

"Joker…" Batman growled

"Yes my friend, I, your humble servant, will no finish off the things that hold you back from being the best you can be. I'll even let you choose who to start with!"

Joker pulled out a switchblade twirled it in his hands happily, giving Batman a wink.

Batman stayed silent, just looking coldly at the clown, waiting for him to make his move.

"Fine, I'll start us off then," the Joker told him angrily, grabbing Kara by the hair, "Let's kill her first, shall we!"  
"WAIT!" Batman yelled, trembling with fury, "JOKER! STOP! KILL ME INSTEAD!"

Joker winced and then turned and glared at Batman. "You're giving up already!"

"Kill me, and let the others go…"

Joker stormed over towards him and kicked Batman's chair on the ground, yelling at him, "Are you that weak? Letting me win with only threatening her! You're a disappointment, a disgrace! I've judged you wrong this whole time, your just another angel!"

The league cringed as the Joker continued kicking Batman in the gut. Kara began struggling and trying to break free to save him, but her bindings were too tight.

"You can't be weak! You are a…"

The Joker was cut off by a chilling sound, a heart stopping noise that echoed through the room. The league began to feel uneasy; this noise was truly terrifying. Harley curled up in the corner and whimpered to the Joker, "Honey, w-what's he doing?"

"I think he's… laughing," the Joker answered, glaring at the dark knight, "Shut up! You aren't supposed to laugh _before _the punch line!"

Batman continued to laugh darkly, ignoring the Joker's angry protests.

"Make him stop, I don't like it!" Harley said, covering her ears and turning away.

"WHAT'S SO DAMN FUNNY?" demanded the Joker grabbing the crowbar from Harley's hands and raising it up.

"You just exposed your own bluff."

The Joker lowered the crowbar and asked, "What do you mean?"

"My chair isn't rigged, if it was you wouldn't have so quickly knocked me over," Batman explained, facing the Joker and giving him a defying look.

The mad clown gasped with joy, "Oh you! You really had me going there for a second! I thought you were…"

Batman didn't let him finish, tearing himself from the chair and wrapping his hands around the Joker's neck.

"Hah, hah," the Joker choked, "Well go ahead Batman! Finish me!"

Batman felt pure hatred and anger overtaking his body as he grappled the clown's neck. He didn't know what to do, but one thing was for certain, the Joker didn't deserve to live.

"Batman don't!"

Batman turned around and saw Kara with a scared look on her face. He knew that in the end, he couldn't go through with it. He couldn't take the Joker's life.

"No, I won't," Batman threw the Joker on the ground and stood over him, "I won't kill. Not even you."

The Joker coughed up a laugh, "Oh well, can't blame a guy for trying!"

The jester pulled out a large detonator and yelled, "Say goodbye Batsy!"

Before the clown could even move his finger toward the button, a batarang flew straight into his hand.

"Leave my guy alone!" yelled Harley as she charged at him with a sledge hammer

Batman turned around and caught the hammer mid swing and broke it in half.

"Oi," Harley whimpered, closing her eyes in anticipation

Batman swung the handle into the side of her head, knocking her out with a _crack_! He threw the broken pieces to the side and turned back to the Joker, whom he realized was gone.

Quickly, Batman ran over and untied the league, helping them each out of their chairs without triggering the detonators. He had to think of the hostages first this time; he wouldn't make the mistake of leaving them alone again.

"Oracle, I placed a tracker on the Joker before he ran off. Could you track it down and tell me where he ran off to?" Batman asked as he cut off Conner's bindings.

"Oh god, Mr. Wayne, I thought you were dead!" Eve sighed in relief over the radio

"We can celebrate later, I need the location," Batman told her

Eve activated the tracker and reported back to him, "The Joker is heading up the closest guard tower, if you run, you can catch him!"

Batman untied Kara and pulled her out of her seat. She immediately launched herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Oh Christian, thank God you're alright…"

"It's ok Kara, I won't leave you again," he told her, stroking the back of her head reassuringly.

M'gann put her hand on Superwoman's shoulder and said to Batman, "Go and catch the Joker, I will stay here with her."

"No, I can't leave you all alone again!"

Kara turned Batman towards her and said, "We'll be fine; you go stop him. End this."

Batman nodded and turned towards the exit. He ran out through the door and after the Joker, using what was left of his visor to find where the clown had gone off.

He was ready to put the ace of knaves in a body cast for six months. The clown's rampage was going to end.

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Batman reached the top of the tower, where the Joker was waiting for him, smiling happily. A storm raged outside of them, harsh winds swaying trees and thunder crashing. Streaks of lightning lit up the skies, illuminating the faces of the two mortal enemies.

"You came back for me, I'm touched," the Joker said in a delighted tone of voice, pulling out a switchblade from his pocket.

Batman clenched his fists and raised them up. He calmly told the Joker, "I'm taking you in."

The clown just began to laugh heartily, almost doubling over he thought it was so funny. Batman didn't let the Joker's sadistic laughter unsettle him though; he stood unmoving in front of the clown.

"Alright Batman, let's tango, you and I, the finishing act tonight!"

Lighting flashed again, as if it was queuing the start of the battle. The Joker and the Batman clashed in the middle, order vs chaos.

Batman ducked under the knife and grabbed the Joker, holding him up and throwing him across the floor. While the Joker may be one of the most dangerous men on earth, Batman knew his fighting skills were far superior to those of the clown.

"Hehehe, good one…" The Joker giggled, standing up again shakily and charging Batman again.

The dark knight side stepped the knife and batted it out of the Jokers hand. Before the clown could turn around, Batman unleashed a furious barrage of punches. Each punch was barely held back, he was going to beat the Joker with in an inch of his pathetic life.

Joker attempted to throw a haymaker at him, but Batman quickly caught the punch. With unmatched force, Batman twisted the insane jester's arm. The Joker didn't let on that he even felt the hit though, he just laughed it off and swung his loafers straight into Batman's stomach.

He was surprised by the amount of power that was behind the Joker's attack. The clown was stronger then his slender form let on. Batman ducked under the next punch and jumped backwards to avoid an ice pick the Joker had pulled out from his suit. Batman grabbed the ice pick out of Joker's hand and broke it in half, and shoved the point into the Joker's free hand.

Stumbling backwards a bit, the Joker gripped his bleeding hand and pulled the metal point out. Another streak of lightning tore through the sky, revealing a large shadow looming over him.

The Joker turned around and saw Batman jumping towards him, the shadows covering his features and his cape blocking out the sky. The dark knight punched the clown square in the face, and then slammed his fist into his gut.

"Oohoo, Crazy Man!" the Joker taunted as Batman caught him across the face with a vicious left hook.

"Mad Man!"

Batman kneed Joker in the stomach, probably cracking a couple ribs, and then gave the clown a devastating punch to the neck.

"Batty Man!"

Batman swung the clown into the small wall that kept observers from falling off and began to punch his face in. Drawing blood with each swing, Batman heard the Joker's nose and jaw crack in multiple places as he let his fury pour into each blow. As much pain as Batman caused him though, the Joker only continued to laugh.

Batman grabbed the Joker by the collar and forced him up against the guard wall. Looking the clown dead in his beady eyes, Batman sneered, "You're right. You did judge me wrong. I may be on the side of the angels but don't think for a SECOND I'm one of them!"

"I know, and that's what makes you so great!" he laughed, pulling out a grenade and clipping it to Batman's belt.

Batman quickly fumbled to unclip the belt and threw it aside. The explosion knocked him backwards into one of the guard walls. The wall crumbled around him, leaving his head hanging off the edge. Before Batman could get up, the Joker stabbed him in the knee and jumped on top of him, pulling out another knife.

"Oh what fun that was," giggled the Joker, holding the sharp blade up to Batman's neck.

Batman struggled, but had lost a lot of his power because of his injured leg and his already hurt shoulder. "You've lost Joker! The league is downstairs recovering, ready to take you in if I don't!"

"Ha! You think they can stop me? They don't have the strength of mind to take what I can deal. Also, look at you, no gadgets or anything to protect you, your shoulder broken and your knee stabbed. I'd say you've lost Batman!"

He could feel the warm blood gushing from the wound from his leg. His shoulder was definitely broken again, causing him unfathomable pain when the Joker pressed his hand against it.

"Ooh, that looked like it hurt, HAHAHAAAHAAAHAA!" the Joker cackled, pushing the blade closer and closer to the Batman's neck.

He had to think of something fast, but it would be difficult without his belt. He felt like an idiot, leaving his concealed knife behind when he chased after the Joker. He hated to admit it, but it felt as though he could never be prepared for him. No matter how many times he thought this scenario through, he never expected the Joker to pull a grenade from his jacket pocket and so blatantly put his own life in danger. A man who wasn't afraid of death was a force to be reckoned with.

"I've won, I've beaten you Batman!" the Joker snarled, cutting off the padding that protected Batman's neck.

"I'll never let you win," growled Batman as he rotated his gauntlet around.

"What are ya gonna do, shoot your little spikes at me?" the Joker laughed, "pathetic!"

"Not exactly."

A small button popped out of Batman's glove, which he hit quickly. It delivered a powerful shock to the Joker, who yelped in pain and slipped off the edge. On the way down, the Joker didn't scream, he didn't cry, he only laughed maniacally in a sick and twisted way.

"**_HAHAAAHAHAHAHAAAHAAAHAHAAAA!_**" he cackled, the wind whipping around his pale and disfigured face.

Batman quickly rolled around and shot the batclaw down, which grabbed the Joker by the ankle just in the nick of time. With a grunt of pain, Batman began pulling the Joker up, his arm searing with pain and his leg loosing blood.

As he pulled the Joker up, the clown's maniacal laughter grew louder and louder, as if Batman was pulling him out of hell and back into Gotham. This is what he hated most, the fact that indirectly, he would be responsible for every death the Joker caused.

"Oh ho ho you," the Joker said with a mad, sadistic grin on his face, "Just didn't have the heart to do it?"

Batman grunted in pain, tying the line to a rail and allowing the clown to hang there upside down.

"And so it begins again, the war between the two forces of nature. The never ending battle, the two of us interlocked forever," he continued to taunt, licking his lips and giggling between sentences.

"You'll be locked up where the light never shines forever," Batman growled, glaring down at his defeated foe.

The Joker shrugged nonchalantly, "I personally prefer the dark, I know you understand, hehehehehe…"

Batman looked out at the circle in front of Arkham Asylum, where hundreds of police cars with armed men were lining up to make the arrest. Floodlights were pointed towards the wrecked building and the unconscious criminals lying everywhere.

"I wonder if they'll arrest you two," the Joker said maliciously, still keeping his sick grin, "but then again, the law can be very selective at times."

"Enjoy the view of the city Joker, because you'll never see it again," Batman told him, looking out towards the nocturnal Gotham City.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll get out sometime. Besides, what kind of Joker would I be if I couldn't?"

Batman shot the Joker a glare, and then turned merged with the shadows right before the floodlights were pointed at the dangling, laughing, Joker.

Once he was back inside the asylum, he called Eve over the comm. link.

"Joker's down," he reported, "I need an extraction along with serious medical attention."

"I'm sending you something as we speak. Just try and hold on." Eve answered

Batman leaned against the wall and slid down to the ground. He sat there, putting his hand over the open wound in his leg so he wouldn't loose as much blood. With his other hand, he clipped his utility belt around his waste. His shoulder continued to flare with pain, causing his vision to go blurry when combined with the amount of blood he was loosing.

Suddenly, he heard yells and shouts from outside the Asylum, coming from the direction of the police. Stumbling over to a window, he looked out and saw a large, black, armored helicopter hovering outside.

Police began pointing their guns toward it, but Commissioner Carmen signaled them to stand down.

"But Commissioner, we have orders to arrest him," one of the officers pointed out

"He just stopped the Joker from killing half the cops in Gotham plus their families. I think we owe him this," she answered, giving the Batman an approving nod, wherever he was.

Batman pointed his grapple gun towards the helicopter and shot a line towards it. When the hook was secure, he jumped out the window and grappled up towards the helicopter, diving inside the cockpit once he reached it.

"Auto pilot, take me back to the cave," he commanded it

The helicopter lurched to the side and flew off towards the cave, just as he had asked. As Batman lay bleeding inside the helicopter, he could swear he could hear only one thing in his head, the maniacal laughter of the Joker.

0000000000000000000000000

Christian woke up in what looked like a hospital bed, his head achy and his vision blurry. He tried to get a grip on his surroundings; he needed to figure out just what the hell was going on. To his horror, he found that he was in an actual hospital.

Christian panicked a bit; Eve wasn't supposed to take him to a hospital! How was he supposed to explain how he got his wounds?

"Well you sure had an eventful weekend Mr. Wayne."

Christian turned his head with difficulty and saw a brunette doctor standing next to him, holding a clipboard with his medical reports.

"You're very luck that your secretary, Ms. Wesson, could get you here on time. You lost a lot of blood in that fight," she continued, putting the clipboard on a table next to him and grabbing some medication.

Christian demanded angrily, "How much do you know?"

The doctor put her hands up and merely smiled. "I know that you don't know me, but my grandmother used to work with your father. My name is Dr. Lilly Thompson."

Christian remembered the old woman that used to frequent his house when he was young. After his dad got injured in all those "skiing accidents" she would always be the one to patch him up. Still, he didn't like the idea of the hospital having records of his injuries.

"Lets see, you went into that fight with an injured shoulder and three bruised ribs. You walked out with a broken shoulder, two broken ribs, and a serious leg wound. You Waynes are always lucky when it comes to stuff like this."

"Where… where is Eve?" Christian asked, resting his head on the soft pillow the hospital had given him.

Dr. Thompson chuckled, "She's running your company right now. You had a very important board meeting today, or did you forget?"

"Wait, that meeting was supposed to be in three days! Was I out for…"

"Yes, you gave us quite the scare," she answered, "but you should be fine in a couple of weeks. I would suggest letting your body heal a bit after your bones fix, but knowing your type you'll be back out there as soon as possible."

Christian sighed in frustration. He couldn't patrol for weeks? As it is, he had no idea what the Joker's status was. For all he knew, the clown could have escaped already!

"You do have some visitors, Mr. Wayne. Shall I tell them to come in, or are you not ready to see anyone yet?"

Who the hell wanted to see him? Apart from Eve, who was busy at the moment, he didn't really have many friends. Then he realized; it was the league. They probably had come to finish off the job when he was weak, to threaten him to stop when he couldn't do anything about it.

"Fine," he grumbled send them in.

Dr. Thompson nodded and called, "Ms. Kent, Mr. Kent, Ms. Sandsmark, Ms. Morse, Mr. West, and Mr. Keegan, Mr. Wayne is ready to see you all."

The whole league, all in civilian clothing, filed into the room and around his bed, most wearing casts themselves. Christian noticed that Conner and Kara had both healed completely, along with M'gann.

"How are you feeling Christian," Kara asked him softly, sitting down on the bed next to him.

"Well I have a broken shoulder, two broken ribs, a stabbed leg, and several severe bruises. Other then that I'm just fine. Where is he?"

"Locked away in Arkham, and hopefully for good," M'gann told him with a smile

Christian nodded, "So, is this where you all force me into retirement."

The whole team looked at Conner, who sighed and stepped forward. "Look Christian, M'gann explained to us her experience working with you. We realize that… that or choice to work with one government may not be the best choice. We also realized that the league really needs a Batman. So, we are going to split from our government status and try to work the way we used to, separate from any single country."

Christian couldn't believe it. He knew that the fight would stop the league from bothering him, but he never imagined he would change it so dramatically.

"So, are you going to join?" Cassie asked excitedly, "Because we could really use your help."

Christian thought for a bit. Was he willing to join the team now, to work with others? He always knew he enjoyed working alone; it kept things uncomplicated. Then again, he had been working with Kara and M'gann to stop the Joker, and of course he couldn't have done it without Eve. Maybe it would be a good idea to be on a team, to have a family.

"I'll do part time."

The whole group gave him a strange look, as if they were trying to figure out what he meant.

"Part time?" Wally asked, scratching his red hair

Christian nodded, "I need to put Gotham first no matter what. I have to be here for its people. When I'm not needed, though, I will help you."

"That's great!" M'gann exclaimed happily, forgetting that they were supposed to be civilians at the moment. When the whole team shot her a glare, she smiled sheepishly and whispered, "Sorry…"

Christian sighed and took a sip from his drink, and put it back on the tray next to him. The league began to file out of the room, leaving only Kara with him. His lifelong friend gave him a loving smile. Christian had known she got her powers back, seeing as she was as full of life as ever. She was herself again, and he thanked God for it.

"Are you glad it's finally over," she asked him hopefully

"It's never over. It's only put on pause," he answered dejectedly. He knew, deep down, that the Joker would escape again. He knew that before the year was over, the clown would be back on the streets causing havoc.

The one thing that bothered him was the villain he had been fighting in the very beginning, Identity. With the Joker's appearance, he hadn't really had time to study the case further. He never had looked into who was actually behind the mask, and if they were actually dead or not. For all he knew, the Joker could have killed another follower.

"I guess you're right," Kara told him, "But still, it feels nice when there's a break in the action."

Christian nodded in agreement. The two stayed silent for a while, just looking in each other's eyes, trying to find words to break the awkwardness.

"So, when are you heading back for Metropolis," Christian asked

"Probably in a day or two, I still need to finish up some of the things that Jimmy was working on, which reminds me," Kara pulled the golden ring Christian had put on her nightstand and gave it back to him.

Christian gave her an unsure look, "Why?"

"Because, I need to move on. Jimmy wouldn't have wanted me to hold on to his death for the rest of my life. He wouldn't want my guilt to consume me. I think you need it more then I do."

Christian closed his hands around the small gold band and smiled to himself. He may have still felt anger over his family's death, but he somehow felt, happier.

Kara waved goodbye and stood up off the bed. Before she could leave though, she heard Christian call her back.

"Kara?"

She turned back and said, "Yes Christian?"

"Thank you, for everything. I know I may have been a jerk, and I just want you to know how much it means to me that you stuck with me for so long, even if things did end sourly."

Kara smiled happily and told him, "Christian, I'll be here for you. You may be stubborn, pig headed, and broody, but I know who you really are. I know that deep down; you're still that great guy I used to know. Take care of yourself, and I'll see you at the watchtower."

Kara leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, and then left him lying in his bed. Christian just sat, reflecting on what had happened. He knew that he had to keep fighting until Gotham was a safe place to live, a place where a man wouldn't lose his whole family to some punk with a gun. It bothered him that the man was never found, but maybe it was for the best. Christian didn't know what he'd do if the man was ever caught. Looking at the ring in his hand, he realized that there was one thing he had to do once he got out of the hospital.

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

It was a dark, cold night in Gotham. The city seemed silent; the usual sirens that rang through the air weren't present, making it surprisingly peaceful. There were no gunshots, no screams, and no cries, just a strange silence.

The Rose had its usual crowd, having recovered from its drought of costumers after the Wayne shooting. Valets helped the rich and famous out of their cars and into the fine establishment as neon lights lit up the area. People stood in line dressed in their finest, waiting for their turn to taste the delicacies that were inside.

Some people stood on the other side of the sidewalk, claiming that if you stood there on some nights, you could see Bruce and Sarah Wayne's ghost. Not many believed it, but the legend had quickly spread after some whack job had told the public how ghosts dressed in fine clothing had chased him down the road.

Batman glided silently over the crowd, not attracting any attention to himself and blending in perfectly with the night. He landed in one of the allies near the rose, and stood silently for a while in front of the chalk lines that seemed to stain the ground.

He pulled a bouquet of roses out and placed them down next to where the two bodies were drawn, not saying a word the whole time. Batman then knelt down next to them, bowing his head in respect.

He didn't know how he felt, standing on the ground that ran with his parents blood. The mask helped block away the pain, but he knew deep down that he had driven them to their doom. If he had just met with them, if he had just spent time with them, none of this would have happened.

"Dad, Sarah, I just want you both to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you, and I'm sorry that I forced you out in the storm like that. I've- I've tried to honor your memory, and I hope you both think I'm doing a good job of it. Dad, I don't know if I told you this before, but I have nothing but love and respect for you. What you did for this city was incredible, and I only hope that I can live up to it."

Batman pulled out the golden ring as well and placed it by the flowers.

"I also need to give you this. A friend told me that I need to continue living, and I don't think I can with the guilt of three deaths weighing over me. Who knows, maybe I might be able to fully let go some day? But for now, Gotham needs me, needs a Batman. I will bring this great city out of the darkness, I promise you this."

He stood up and took a couple steps back, looking at the marks on the ground before grappling away. Maybe, he might be able to let go someday. Maybe…

**A/N: Well I hope you all enjoyed it! Look out for the sequel, which is most likely coming soon. Thanks for reading my story, and I look forward to writing more in the future.**


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